A third Irish Heineken Cup win in a row next year would pave the way for Connacht to enter Europe’s premier competition in the autumn of 2010, after amendments to the qualification format were revealed by the ERC in Dublin today.
Under new rules, the winners of both the European Challenge Cup (ECC) and the Heineken Cup (HEC) will secure an additional place in the latter for a team from their country.
With Ireland having three HEC spots guaranteed, a successful Leinster defence, or another win for Munster or 1999 champions Ulster, would afford Connacht a taste at the top table of European rugby.
Michael Bradley’s side could also qualify by winning the ECC, but after amendments were made to its format in a bid to heighten the tournament’s profile, it has become a more difficult competition to win.
Connacht were drawn in pool two today, alongside last year’s semi-finalists Worcester Warriors, French club Montpellier and Spanish invitational team Olympus Rugby XV Madrid.
At first glance, it could be worse, but only one team will emerge from each pool from now on and then a meeting with a Heineken Cup side could await.
The five pool winners will be joined by the three Heineken Cup teams that finished as third, fourth and fifth-best runners-up in their respective pools.
The top four ECC pool winners will have home advantage in the quarter-finals, with the best of them welcoming the fifth-best and the other three hosting the Heineken Cup sides.
If Connacht were to win the ECC, and the other Irish sides claimed their places, the additional berth in the Heineken Cup would be awarded to the highest ranked European team not to have qualified.
All of which means there will no longer be an Italian/Celtic League play-off place awarded or a place for the most successful nation out of England, France and Italy.
In other amendments, the ECC winner will claim six ranking points rather than five and the European champions will be awarded up to 11 depending on how they finish in their pool.
The three Heineken Cup teams that end up in the ECC will carry over three points and win another for each round in which they progress, adding to a total of six.
European Challenge Cup 2009/10 Pools
Pool 1:Bourgoin, Leeds Carnegie, Overmach Rugby Parma, Bucuresti Oaks
Pool 2: Worcester Warriors, Connacht Rugby, Montpellier, Olympus Rugby XV Madrid
PooL 3:Saracens, Castres Olympique, Toulon, Rugby Rovigo
PooL 4:London Wasps, Rugby Calvisano, Bayonne, Racing-Metro 92
PooL 5:Newcastle Falcons, Montauban, Petrarca Rugby, Albi
Round 1 begins on October 8th, 2009
