ERC opt for the old format

European Cup: European Rugby Cup Ltd (ERC) have confirmed the format for the Heineken European Cup 2004/2005 tournament. The six pool stages will revert to the pre-World Cup formula of three blocks of two rounds, starting in October and finishing in early January, 2005.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be in April, with a three-week gap in between, while the final will be on the weekend of May 21st-22nd.

Twenty-three of the 24 places for next season's competition have already been allocated: England and France will each have six representatives (including one each based on merit), Wales will have four, Ireland boast three (including one one merit), with Italy and Scotland afforded two teams each. The remaining place will be allocated to the country which provides the winners of this year's tournament.

The Welsh had five teams in this year's competition, but, in line with an agreement signed with the organisers that insists all six stakeholder nations must have a representative in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup, Wales are obliged to provide a team for that competition.

The IRFU will nominate the Irish representatives based on the 2003 and 2004 European Cup tournaments: should Connacht qualify automatically by winning this year's Challenge Cup, then Ulster, as the third-ranked province, would play in the Challenge Cup.

The Welsh and Scottish participants will be determined on the finishing positions in this season's Celtic League.

England and France both employ more convoluted methods based on the Zurich Premiership in the case of the former and the French championship. Italy accredit their championship winners and runners-up.

Meanwhile, ERC have confirmed the potential semi-final final venues for this season's competition. If Munster beat Stade Francais at Thomond Park next week, then their semi-final will be at Lansdowne Road against either Wasps or Gloucester.

If Stade Francais prevail, then the semi-final will be played at Stade Charlety in Paris (where American sprinter Tim Montgomery set his 9.78 seconds 100 metres world record in 2002).

If Toulouse beat Edinburgh, then the second semi-final will be at Stade Cheban-Delmas in Bordeaux, formerly known as Stade Lescure which staged the 1998 European Cup final between Bath and Brive.

Should the Scots prevail, then they will take the winners of the fourth quarter-final between the Llanelli Scarlets and Biarritz Olympique to Murrayfield for the penultimate game.

The interest in this season's competition as the tournament hits the knock-out stage is manifest in the fact that the final, due to be held at Twickenham on May 23rd, is virtually a sell-out.

The teams will each receive a ticket allocation of 12,500, but there are only a handful of the remaining 50,000 tickets left unsold. ERC chief executive Derek McGrath admitted: "The phenomenal interest clearly demonstrates that, although we are three weeks away from knowing the finalists, the event is regarded as a lot more than a match."

EUROPEAN CUP 2004/2005 - Round One: October 22nd-24th; Round Two: October 29th-31st; Round Three: December 3rd-5th; Round Four: December 10th-12th; January 7th-9th, 2005; Round Six: January 14th-16th. Quarter-finals: April 1st-3rd. Semi-finals: April 22nd-24th. Final: May 21st-22nd.