2011–12 Heineken Cup
Encyclopedia
The 2011–12 Heineken Cup is the 17th season of the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...

, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. The final will be at Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...

 on the weekend of 19–20 May 2012.

Teams

The default allocation of teams is as follows:
  • England: 6 teams, based on performance in the Aviva Premiership and Anglo-Welsh Cup
    2010–11 LV Cup
    The 2010–11 LV Cup was the 40th season of England's national rugby union cup competition, and the sixth to follow the Anglo-Welsh format....

  • France: 6 teams, based on regular-season finish in the Top 14
    2010–11 Top 14 season
    The 2010–11 Top 14 competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby . Home-and-away play began on August 13, 2010 and continued through April 2011. The regular season was followed by a three-round playoff starting in May that involved the top...

  • Ireland: 3 teams, based on regular-season finish in the Celtic League
  • Wales: 3 teams, based on regular-season finish in the Celtic League
  • Italy and Scotland: 2 teams each, based on participation in the Celtic League (although there are only 2 from each nation)


The remaining two places are filled by the winners of the previous year's Heineken Cup
2010–11 Heineken Cup
The 2010–11 Heineken Cup was the 16th season of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby...

 and Amlin Challenge Cup. If the cup winners are already qualified through their domestic league, an additional team from their country will claim a Heineken Cup place (assuming another team is available). Accordingly, Harlequins
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...

 claimed the Challenge Cup winner's berth, and since Heineken Cup winners Leinster
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

 were already domestically qualified, the extra Irish berth went to Connacht
Connacht Rugby
Connacht Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 comprising teams from the Celtic nations plus Italy. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup...

.
England France Ireland Wales Italy Scotland
  • Leicester Tigers
    Leicester Tigers
    Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...

  • Northampton Saints
    Northampton Saints
    Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....

  • Gloucester
  • Harlequins
    Harlequin F.C.
    The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...

  • Bath
    Bath Rugby
    Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...

  • London Irish
    London Irish
    London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...

  • Saracens
    Saracens F.C.
    Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...

  • Toulouse
    Stade Toulousain
    Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...

  • Biarritz
    Biarritz Olympique
    Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...

  • Clermont Auvergne
    ASM Clermont Auvergne
    Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club...

  • Castres
    Castres Olympique
    Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906...

  • Montpellier
    Montpellier Hérault RC
    Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007...

  • Racing Métro
  • Leinster
    Leinster Rugby
    Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

  • Munster
    Munster Rugby
    Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...

  • Ulster
    Ulster Rugby
    Ulster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Ulster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Belfast, representing the Irish province of Ulster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

  • Connacht
    Connacht Rugby
    Connacht Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 comprising teams from the Celtic nations plus Italy. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup...

  • Cardiff Blues
    Cardiff Blues
    Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....

  • Ospreys
  • Scarlets
  • Benetton Treviso
    Benetton Rugby Treviso
    Benetton Rugby Treviso are an Italian professional rugby union club currently competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup.They are based in Treviso in Veneto, and owned by the Benetton clothing company....

  • Aironi
    Aironi
    Aironi Rugby are an Italian professional rugby club competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup. They represent the Italian regions of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna.- Home ground :...

  • Glasgow Warriors
    Glasgow Warriors
    The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...

  • Edinburgh

  • Seeding

    The seeding system was the same as in the 2010–11
    2010–11 Heineken Cup
    The 2010–11 Heineken Cup was the 16th season of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby...

     tournament. The 24 competing teams are ranked based on past Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup performance, with each pool receiving one team from each quartile, or Tier. The requirement to have only one team per country in each pool, however, still applies (with the exception of the inclusion of the seventh English team).

    The brackets show each team's European Rugby Club Ranking
    European Rugby Club Rankings
    The European Rugby Club Rankings were introduced for the 2008-09 European season. They are based on the points earned by teams in the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup over the past four years. They are used to aid in the seeding process for the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge...

     at the end of the 2010–11 season.
    Tier 1 Leinster
    Leinster Rugby
    Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

      (1)
      Toulouse
    Stade Toulousain
    Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...

     (2)
    Munster
    Munster Rugby
    Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...

      (3)
      Cardiff Blues
    Cardiff Blues
    Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....

     (4)
      Biarritz
    Biarritz Olympique
    Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...

     (5)
      Leicester Tigers
    Leicester Tigers
    Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...

     (6)
    Tier 2   Northampton Saints
    Northampton Saints
    Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....

     (7)
      Clermont
    ASM Clermont Auvergne
    Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club...

     (10)
      Ospreys (11)   Bath
    Bath Rugby
    Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...

     (12)
      Harlequins
    Harlequin F.C.
    The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...

     (13)
      London Irish
    London Irish
    London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...

     (15)
    Tier 3 Ulster
    Ulster Rugby
    Ulster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Ulster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Belfast, representing the Irish province of Ulster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

      (16)
      Saracens
    Saracens F.C.
    Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...

     (17)
      Gloucester (18)   Glasgow Warriors
    Glasgow Warriors
    The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...

     (20)
      Scarlets (21)   Edinburgh (24)
    Tier 4 Connacht
    Connacht Rugby
    Connacht Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 comprising teams from the Celtic nations plus Italy. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup...

     (25)
      Benetton Treviso
    Benetton Rugby Treviso
    Benetton Rugby Treviso are an Italian professional rugby union club currently competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup.They are based in Treviso in Veneto, and owned by the Benetton clothing company....

     (30)
      Castres
    Castres Olympique
    Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906...

     (31)
      Montpellier Hérault RC
    Montpellier Hérault RC
    Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007...

     (32)
      Racing Métro (33)   Aironi
    Aironi
    Aironi Rugby are an Italian professional rugby club competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup. They represent the Italian regions of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna.- Home ground :...

     (37)

    Pool stage

    The draw for the pool stage took place on 7 June 2011.

    Under rules of the competition organiser, European Rugby Cup
    European Rugby Cup
    European Rugby Cup is the organising body of two European rugby union club tournaments; the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup. The organisation was established in 1995 and is headquartered in Dublin...

    , tiebreakers within each pool are as follows.
    • Competition points earned in head-to-head matches
    • Total tries scored in head-to-head matches
    • Point differential in head-to-head matches


    ERC has four additional tiebreakers, used if tied teams are in different pools, or if the above steps cannot break a tie between teams in the same pool:
    • Tries scored in all pool matches
    • Point differential in all pool matches
    • Best disciplinary record (fewest players receiving red or yellow cards in all pool matches)
    • Coin toss

    Key to colours
         Winner of each pool, advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses
         Two highest-scoring second-place teams advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses
         Third- through fifth- highest-scoring second-place teams parachute into the knockout stage
    of the European Challenge Cup. Seed # in brackets

    Pool 1

    Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
      Scarlets 2 2 0 0 7 4 +3 59 46 +13 1 0 9
    Munster
    Munster Rugby
    Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...

    2 2 0 0 5 4 +1 50 45 +5 0 0 8
      Northampton Saints
    Northampton Saints
    Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....

    2 0 0 2 4 6 −2 44 51 −7 0 2 2
      Castres
    Castres Olympique
    Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906...

    2 0 0 2 4 6 −2 47 58 −11 0 1 1

    Pool 2

    Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
      Edinburgh 2 2 0 0 8 6 +2 68 66 +2 1 0 9
      Cardiff Blues
    Cardiff Blues
    Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....

    2 2 0 0 4 1 +3 50 38 +12 0 0 8
      Racing Métro 2 0 0 2 6 8 −2 67 74 −7 1 2 3
      London Irish
    London Irish
    London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...

    2 0 0 2 1 4 −3 37 44 −7 0 2 2

    Pool 3

    Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
    Leinster
    Leinster Rugby
    Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

    2 1 1 0 6 2 +4 54 29 +25 1 0 7
      Bath
    Bath Rugby
    Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...

    2 1 0 1 2 3 −1 37 39 −2 0 1 5
      Glasgow Warriors
    Glasgow Warriors
    The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...

    2 1 0 1 3 5 −2 39 59 −20 0 0 4
      Montpellier
    Montpellier Hérault RC
    Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007...

    2 0 1 1 2 3 −1 29 32 −3 0 1 3

    Pool 4

    Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
      Leicester Tigers
    Leicester Tigers
    Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...

    2 2 0 0 4 0 +4 48 21 +27 0 0 8
      Clermont
    ASM Clermont Auvergne
    Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club...

    2 1 0 1 9 1 +8 65 19 +46 1 1 6
    Ulster
    Ulster Rugby
    Ulster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Ulster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Belfast, representing the Irish province of Ulster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

    2 1 0 1 1 2 −1 25 31 −6 0 0 4
      Aironi
    Aironi
    Aironi Rugby are an Italian professional rugby club competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup. They represent the Italian regions of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna.- Home ground :...

    2 0 0 2 0 11 −11 15 82 −67 0 0 0

    Pool 5

    Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
      Saracens
    Saracens F.C.
    Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...

    2 1 0 1 6 4 +2 52 32 +20 1 1 6
      Ospreys 2 1 1 0 3 5 −2 54 47 +7 0 0 6
      Biarritz
    Biarritz Olympique
    Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...

    2 1 0 1 4 2 +2 36 38 −2 0 1 5
      Benetton Treviso
    Benetton Rugby Treviso
    Benetton Rugby Treviso are an Italian professional rugby union club currently competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup.They are based in Treviso in Veneto, and owned by the Benetton clothing company....

    2 0 1 1 5 7 −2 43 68 −25 0 0 2

    Pool 6

    Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
      Toulouse
    Stade Toulousain
    Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...

    2 2 0 0 5 3 +2 57 27 +30 0 0 8
      Harlequins
    Harlequin F.C.
    The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...

    2 2 0 0 4 2 +2 53 26 +27 0 0 8
      Gloucester 2 0 0 2 2 5 −3 26 49 −23 0 1 1
    Connacht
    Connacht Rugby
    Connacht Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 comprising teams from the Celtic nations plus Italy. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup...

    2 0 0 2 3 4 −1 27 61 −34 0 0 0
    The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
     
    x
    OK