How They've Done

As we build up to the big kick off, check out who's done what in previous Heineken Cup competition's...

Over the coming months here at the official Heineken Cup website, we will be checking out how the sides in this year's competition have done in previous seasons.

Today we look at the Heineken Cup overall winner's table- (recorded by percentage of wins to games.)

Topping the table are the Leicester Tigers - champions of 2001, and 2002, and the runners-up in1997, with a 74.35 % win record.

Defending Champions Leicester, Toulouse, the champions in the first Heineken competition 1996, and Irish province Munster, runners up in 2000 and 2002, share the most wins in competition history with 29.

Gloucester sneak in to second spot in the percentage table by virtue of their run to the semi-final in their only entry to the tournament in 2000/1.

The top Welsh side is Cardiff, the runners up in the inaugural competition in 1996. Twenty-two wins from 38 games puts them in 7th spot with 60.5 %

Edinburgh Rugby are the leading Scottish side in the table- they have a 43% win record. Glasgow Rugby have just 31%.

Italy has two representatives in the tournament. Viadana make their debut, and Amatori & Calvisano make their fourth appearance in the tournament.

In 1995/6 1996/7 and 1997/8 they entered as Milan, playing but losing twelve times. Last season they entered as Amatori & Calvisano. They will be looking for a first victory in the Pool stage this year.

There are five newcomers to the tournament. Three compete in English rugby's Zurich Premiership, they are- Sale Sharks- who qualified by winning last season's PARKER PEN SHIELD, Bristol Shoguns (Championship runners-up), and Powergen Cup winners London Irish. French Champions Beziers are the other tournament newcomers.