Global Scope: Farewell to the Heineken Cup

The Heineken Cup, also known as the H Cup in France (because of alcohol sponsorship restrictions), is considered the most prestigious European club rugby tournament. The Cup’s inaugural season was in 1995 involving 5 countries (France, Ireland, Wales, Romania, Italy) with a total of 12 clubs competing. The Heineken Cup has seen many changes in format throughout its 18 years of existence, leading up to the “present day” version with 24 teams from England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Italy. The competition is held from October to May, overlapping domestic club competitions. Also, The Heineken Cup’s major winners are Stade Toulousain (France) and Leinster (Ireland) with four and three championships respectively.