Rugby:The Amlin Challenge Cup draw for the Pool stages revealed Connacht as the only team from last year's semi-final line-up to be included in this year's competition.
In April Connacht were denied in the last four by French side Toulon and this around they start from Pool 1 alongside Harlequins, Bayonne and Italian side Cavalieri Prato.
Sale Sharks, who won the title in 2002 and 2005, were drawn in Pool 2 and will come up against 1997 Heineken Cup champions and 1998 beaten finalists Brive plus Italian side Petrarca Rugby and Spanish outfit Cetransa El Salvador.
This year’s competition features five sides who took part in last season’s Heineken Cup - Stade Français, Gloucester, Sale, Brive and Harlequins.
Exeter Chiefs, who won promotion to the Guinness Premiership last month, will make their European bow when they face Montpellier, Bourgoin, who were Amlin Challenge Cup runners up in 2009, and Newcastle Falcons in Pool 3.
The first round of matches get under way in October.
Amlin Challenge Cup 2010/11 Pools
Pool 1
Harlequins
Connacht
Bayonne
Cavalieri Prato
Pool 2
Sale Sharks
Brive
Petrarca Rugby
Cetransa El Salvador
Pool 3
Bourgoin
Newcastle Falcons
Montpellier
Exeter Chiefs
Pool 4
Stade Francais
Rugby Parma
Leeds Carnegie
Bucuresti Oaks
Pool 5
Gloucester
Agen
Rugby Rovigo
La Rochelle
Amlin Challenge Cup 2010/11 Fixtures
Round 1– October 7/8/9/10
Round 2– October 14/15/16/17
Round 3– December 9/10/11/12
Round 4– December 16/17/18/19
Round 5– January 13/14/15/16
Round 6– January 20/21/22/23
Quarter-Finals– April 8/9/10
Semi-Finals– April 30/May 1
Amlin Challenge Cup Final– May 20/21/22