Heineken Cup Qualifiers for 2002-03

With this season’s Heineken Cup just ended, and the cup safely back in the trophy cabinet at Welford Road, it’s time to look forward and see who will be taking part in next year’s competition

Eighteen teams out of 24 have now qualified for next season’s Heineken European Cup tournament. Notable absentees from the eighth year of the competition will be the 1997 winners Brive and the 1998 champions Bath. The final 24 teams and their national rankings will not be settled until early June after the conclusion of the French and Italian Championships.

England Qualifiers: Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks, Gloucester, London Irish. Contenders for the final two English slots are: London Wasps, Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints.

France Qualifiers: Toulouse, Montferrand, Biarritz, Perpignan, Bourgoin. The final place will be decided between Stade Francais and Beziers.

Ireland Qualifiers: Leinster, Munster, Ulster.

Italy Qualifiers: TBC (x2) from results in the Italian Championship.

Scotland Qualifiers: Edinburgh, Glasgow.

Wales Qualifiers: Llanelli, Newport, Neath, Cardiff. The final Welsh slot will go to either Pontypridd or Swansea.