One of the great names in Heineken Cup history will return to the fold this season when Brive resume action in the top tier after more than a decade in the wilderness.
In the early years of the Heineken Cup the Brivists were a mighty force, winning the title so famously at Cardiff Arms Park in 1997 and then reaching the final in 1998.
In that time they created a record of nine successive wins that stood for four years and provided the tournament with some of its earliest star names. Alain Penaud, Christophe Lamaison, Philippe Carbonneau were great French internationals behind the scrum, while Olivier Magne was the star up front.
On top of that, they created new heroes in the shape of Polish back row man Gregori Kacala, Dutch-born Loic van der Linden and the lightening fast pair of brothers on the wing, Jerome and Sebastian Carrat.
Since those golden two seasons Brive have had to be content with playing in the European Challenge Cup, with one semi-final and five quarter-finals being their best return over the past 11 seasons.
They managed to clinch the final place among the French contingent for this season's tournament only when Bourgoin fell to Northampton Saints in the final of the Challenge Cup.
But they intend to come back with a bang and one player who will be relishing their opening day fixture, against the Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets, will be Welsh international back row man Alix Popham.
He joined Brive last season from the Scarlets and will be able to see how life has changed at the Welsh region since they moved from their beloved Stradey Park to their new venue.
England World Cup winning hooker Steve Thompson will also be in the Brive pack for the new season and he will be joined by two more England caps in the squad this season, new recruits Riki Flutey and Jamie Noon.
It may all be a far cry from the home-grown talent that took Brive to the top of the European rugby tree with their stunning 28-9 demolition of Leicester in the 1997 Heineken Cup final, but it is certain to provide plenty of excitement in the 15th season of Heineken Cup rugby.
And bridging the gap between those early boom years for Brive and the 2009/10 campaign is one mighty figure - Laurent Seigne. The former French international prop was coach during Brive's previous years in the tournament and now he is back as Director of Rugby.
Brive are back - you have been warned!
FOR THE RECORD . . .
Brive will return to the Heineken Cup on Saturday, 10 October when they travel to Llanelli to face the Scarlets. Their last game in the tournament was the 1998 final in Bordeaux on Saturday, 31 January, 1998.
The 3rd Heineken Cup Final
Bath 19, Brive 18
HT: 6-15 Attendance: 36,500
Bath: J Callard; I Evans, P de Glanville, J Guscott, A Adebayo; M Catt, A Nicol (capt); D Hilton, M Regan (F Mendez 78), V Ubogu, M Haag, N Redman, N Thomas (R Earnshaw 71), R Webster, D Lyle
Scorers: Try: J Callard; Con: J Callard; Pens: J Callard 4
Brive: A Penaud; J Carrat, C Lamaison, D Venditti, S Carrat (S Viars 76); L Arbizu, P Carbonneau (capt); D Casadei, L Travers, R Crespy (D Laperne 50), E Alegret, Y Manhes, L van der Linden, O Magne, F Duboisset (R Sonnes 71)
Scorers: Pens: C Lamaison 5 ; DG: A Penaud
Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland)
