Worcester Warriors have been handed a dream European draw after being paired with French giants Stade Francais in the pool stages of this season’s Amlin Challenge Cup.
Richard Hill’s men, seeded in tier two for the draw in Dublin today (Wednesday), will face Stade Francais, Crociati Parma and Bucharest Wolves in Pool 1.
The undoubted highlight of the draw is the two fixtures – home and away – against French giants and last year’s Amlin Challenge Cup side Stade Francais.
Stade Francais are one of the most successful French clubs of the modern era. They have won the French title 13 times and are twice Heineken Cup runners-up.
The hugely talented Stade Francais squad – coached by Michael Cheika – includes captain Sergio Parisse, French centre Mathieu Bastareaud and new signings Byron Kelleher, Paul Sackey and Felipe Contepomi.
Meanwhile, Jonny Wilkinson will be heading home to Newcastle next season after the Pool draw paired his French club, Toulon, with the Falcons in Pool 2. Wilkinson, who scored 2,005 points in 180 appearances for the Falcons in a 12-year stint in the north-east of England, helped Toulon reach the quarter-finals in their first foray into the Heineken Cup last season having steered them into the Amlin Challenge Cup final in 2010.
The Italian champions, Petrarca Padova, and French Top 14 and tournament newcomers, Lyon Rugby, make up the rest of Pool 2.
London Wasps, the 2003 Amlin Challenge Cup champions, have been drawn in Pool 3 and will face the challenge of two French clubs, Bayonne and Bordeaux-Begles. The Italian club, Femi-CZ Rovigo join them.
Spain’s representative, Club de Rugby La Vila, who will join Lyon in making their debut in the competition, find themselves in Pool 5 along with two times Amlin Challenge Cup winners Sale Sharks, 1997 Heineken Cup winners Brive and Agen.
The five Pool winners will progress into the quarter-finals where they will be joined by three Pool runners-up from the Heineken Cup. Harlequins, who won the Amlin Challenge Cup for a record third time last season, gained promotion into the Heineken Cup as a result of their victory.
The draw was overseen by IRB Legal Counsel, Ben Rutherford.
Amlin Challenge Cup 2011 / 2012 Pools
Pool 1: Stade Francais Paris, Worcester Warriors, Crociati Parma, Bucharest Wolves
Pool 2: Toulon, Newcastle Falcons, Petrarca Padova, Lyon Rugby
Pool 3: London Wasps, Bayonne, Femi-CZ Rovigo, Bordeaux-Begles
Pool 4: Perpignan, Newport Gwent Dragons, Exeter Chiefs, Cavalieri Prato
Pool 5: Sale Sharks, Brive, Agen, Club de Rugby La Vila
Amlin Challenge Cup 2011/12 Dates
ROUND 1 – 10/11/12/13 November 2011
ROUND 2 – 17/18/19/20 November 2011
ROUND 3 – 8/9/10/11 December 2011
ROUND 4 – 15/16/17/18 December 2011
ROUND 5 – 12/13/14/15 January 2012
ROUND 6 – 19/20/21/22 January 2012
QUARTER-FINALS – 6/7/8 April 2012
SEMI-FINALS – 27/28/29 April 2012
The 16th Amlin Challenge Cup Final – 18/19/20 May 2012
Details of all fixture dates will be confirmed in due course.