THE FOUR IRISH provinces will discover their opponents for next season’s European Champions Cup pool stages when the draw is made next Wednesday in Neuchâtel.
After they were crowned Guinness Pro12 champions thanks to last month’s Grand Final victory against Leinster, Connacht will be one of the five top seeds in the draw.
They’ll join Premiership champions Saracens and the winners of tomorrow night’s Top 14 final between Toulon and Racing 92 in Tier 1. A preliminary draw including the three second-ranked clubs — Leinster, Exeter Chiefs and the losers of the French decider — will be conducted in advance of the main draw to determine which two teams will complete Tier 1.
Tier 2 will be made up of the three third-ranked clubs from each of the leagues — Glasgow Warriors, Wasps and Clermont Auvergne — as well as the second-ranked club which was not drawn into Tier 1 and the fourth-ranked club from the same league as the club which was not drawn into Tier 1 — which could be Ulster, Leicester Tigers or Montpellier.
The two clubs ranked fourth which are not in Tier 2, as well as the three fifth-ranked clubs from each league — Scarlets, Northampton Saints and Toulouse — will feature in Tier 3.
Tier 4 is already complete and contains the sixth-ranked clubs from each league — Munster, Sale Sharks and Castres — as well as Zebre and the seventh-ranked club from the Top 14, Bordeaux-Bègles.
According to EPCR’s key principles, Sale Sharks must be drawn into a pool which contains one other Premiership club, Castres and Bordeaux-Bègles will both be drawn into pools which contain one other Top 14 club, while Munster cannot be drawn into a pool which contains another Irish province.
Beginning at 1pm Irish time with the draw for the European Challenge Cup, the event will be broadcast live on Sky Sports News and streamed on www.epcrugby.com.
€85. Rip off Ireland alive and well.
I have a AB’s 2003 World Cup top that I paid €100 for back then.
Still in great condition and I wear it all then time.
Canterbury make good quality and it will last.
@Dave Sherman: Adidas have been making the All Blacks jersey since 1999
@Dave Sherman: did you get it off the African man on the beach in Spain
@Dave Sherman: I’ve ‘France 98′ underpants. 99p. Only worn on super-special occasions.
Why has it taken this long for them to be on sale to the public?
@Seán O’Sullivan:
Potentially market demand wasn’t there?
@Seán O’Sullivan: I have no idea but I’m sure a man somewhere is to blame for it.
@Government Sachs:
Are you sure it is not Leo’s fault :)
@Seán O’Sullivan: wait till you see the price, your sympathy will likely evaporate
Wonderful news.
My wardrobe is now complete.
Suit men with moobs too!!!! Skin tight jerseys ain’t for everyone!!!!!
Are they going to go the way of Dublin GAA and patronize women by offering it in pink?
@Bar Bar Drinks: Not just Dublin who do that (Donegal, Kildare, Mayo, Cork, Meath etc)
Obviously women don’t believe it to be patronising as plenty on show at matches.
@Bar Bar Drinks: Those pink jerseys are everywhere, and they’re awfully popular for something so “patronising”
@Bar Bar Drinks: Every county has a pink ladies jersey.
@Bar Bar Drinks: actually I think Cardiff still have a pink third kit that they play in for breast cancer awareness
What?? Why now instead of before?
P/S Before anyone asks, I’m not interested…..
Let the bandwagon begin
Hopefully comes in more sizes than ‘too tight’
@john Appleseed: or not
Provinces have done it for a while now surprised it took this long
@Dave O Keeffe: no province have men’s jersey as women’s not the jersey the women wear for the province
@Ollie Watson: apologies, you’re correct
Only €85, you could fly anywhere in Europe and back for that. They will be sold out quick. Better get two and one for everyone in the family.
If Irish people weren’t so over weight the jerseys could be cheaper. We’d also have a cheaper health service.
@6ljJQRRU: What a load of rubbish. You pay the same price for an xs size.