European Challenge Cup finalists Bourgoin have been drawn in Pool 1 in next season's tournament alongside Neil Back's team Leeds, Overmach Parma and for the second successive year will make a trip to Bucuresti.
Bourgoin who were drawn as the Tier 1 team into the Pool must be considered favourites following their European run this season.
Head Coach Eric Catinot, gave his feelings about the draw and the new European season to
http://www.csbj-rugby.fr/ .
"This Pool looks very much like what we had last season when we also had an English, an Italian and a Roumanian team. I think we can come out of the group again.
Leeds have just been promoted to Guinness Premiership and we should be able to get to know them well as Alberto Di Bernado is joining us from Leeds. We know Bucuresti already very well from last season but I am worried about Parma though. We have to be careful with them. Brive lost against them last year and we know what Italians teams are capable of on their day. We have to be vigilant."
"We were the European Challenge Cup finalists and this competition will be one of our goals this season. Our ambitions will be to finish top of the Pool, earn enough points to host a quarter-final at home for our supporters and why not a semi-final. After the defeat against Northampton, I told the guys that when you lost a final your objective will be to reach it again and win the title." added Bourgoin's coach.
The European Challenge Cup action will get underway on the weekend of 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 October with the fixtures expected to be announced in mid-July.
