French side Toulouse won the Heineken Cup for a record fourth time in 2010
The Heineken Cup is an annual Rugby Union competition organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, region and provincial teams from six International Rugby Board (IRB) countries in Europe: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
The Heineken Cup is one of the most prestigious trophes in the sport and has been sponsored by the Dutch brewing company Heineken International since the tournament began in 1995. The tournament was launched in the European summer of 1995 by the, then, Five Nations committee to provide a new level of professional cross-nation Rugby Union competition.
The tournament is contested from October to May of the following year, with various stages scheduled around other domestic Rugby club competitions. Each European country uses a different qualifying system, though in total 22 teams are entered from six countries, joining the reigning Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup holders to contest the pool stages in six pools of four.
The teams in each pool play home and away earning four points for a win and two points for a draw (match points). A bonus point is earned by a team scoring four or more tries and by a team losing by seven or less points. The six Pool winners and two best placed runners-up qualify for the quarter-finals of the final knock out stage.
PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THE HEINEKEN CUP
French side, Toulouse is the most successful team in the Heineken Cup, the Top 14 club were the first winners in 1996 and have gone on to win the Heineken Cup four times and runners-up twice.
English clubs dominated the competition between 2000 and 2005 when Northampton Saints (2000), Leicester Tigers(2001, 2002)and London Wasps(2004) were triumphant, Toulose breaking the sequence in 2003 and 2004.
Past Winners:
1995–96 Toulouse 21 – 18 Cardiff
1996–97 Brive 28 – 9 Leicester Tigers
1997–98 Bath 19 – 18 Brive
1998–99 Ulster 21 – 6 Colomiers
1999–00 Northampton Saints 9 – 8 Munster
2000–01 Leicester Tigers 34 – 30 Stade Français
2001–02 Leicester Tigers 15 – 9 Munster
2002–03 Toulouse 22 – 17 Perpignan
2003–04 London Wasps 27 – 20 Toulouse
2004–05 Toulouse 18 – 12 Stade Français
2005–06 Munster 23 – 19 Biarritz
2006–07 London Wasps 25 – 9 Leicester Tigers
2007–08 Munster 16 – 13 Toulouse
2008–09 Leinster 19 – 16 Leicester Tigers
2009–10 Toulouse 21 – 19 Biarritz
FREE RUGBY BETS FOR THE HEINEKEN CUP
Get free Heineken Cup bets by registering with online bookmakers to claim the free bet offers available exclusively to new customers.
Three steps to get free Rugby bets for the Heineken Cup
- Select your free bet offer(s); check the main terms and conditions for restrictions for qualifying for free bets and using free bets, then select the free bet offer(s) that best suit your needs. Best Free Bets has a list of free bet offers with all the main terms detailed. CLICK HERE SEE A LIST OF FREE BET OFFERS
- Sign up with an online bookmaker; Best Free Bets has reviewed the best online bookmakers who will all provide free bets to new customers, the bookmakers are recommended because they are trustworthy and reputable, just follow the links to bookmaker’s website and register your details.
- Deposit some funds and place a bet; in most instances deposit and bet as little as £5 to qualify for a free bet matching your first bet stake up to the maximum offered by the bookmaker.
Online bookmakers will normally credit the free bet to your account within 24-48 hours of meeting the qualifying requirements, which usually entails making a deposit and/or placing a bet.
REDEEMING HEINEKEN CUP FREE RUGBY BETS
Normally, using your free bet is simply a matter of making your selection and indicating on the bet slip that you wish to use your free bet. Some bookmakers’ methods vary slightly, however their websites will contain instructions on how to redeem your best free bets.
There will be restrictions placed on the use of free bets which vary between bookmakers and is advisable to make yourself familiar with those restrictions before signing up.
The six most important facts about redeeming free Heineken Cup bets
- Free bet stakes will not be included in returns
- Minimum Odds; expect the bookmaker to insist your free bet is placed on a selection with a minimum price, typically 1/5 (1.20) to evens (2.00)
- Bet Type restrictions; you may not be allowed to use your free bet for some types of bets, however Singles are almost allowed and Accumulators are accepted by most bookmakers.
- Product restrictions; you won’t be able to invest free bets in Tote Pools and in many instances you will be confined to using the free bets in the sportsbook rather than Casino, Poker and other gaming products.
- Rollover requirements; some online bookmakers insist customers bet their deposit and/or stake a number of times before making a withdrawal.
- Free Bet Expiry; if unused, the free bets will expire after a period of time, normally 7 to 30 days.
BETTING TIPS FOR THE HEINEKEN CUP
If you enjoy a regular flutter throughout the Heineken Cup or on other rugby betting events then its worth considering opening accounts with a number of online bookmakers. Free bets give you an excellent chance to increase your winnings or the opportunity to bet a winner without risking your own money. You also gain the advantage of being able to compare the different odds available for your selection allowing you to choose the best odds for your rugby bets, which will obviously help your profits over time.
Nowadays you can place a bet on your mobile phone and most online bookmakers have special mobile friendly versions of their websites or specially developed mobile phone and smartphone applications to make the website easy to browse and place a bet while you are out and about. It is worth mentioning because some online bookmakers will give you a free bet for trying out their mobile service, even if you already hold an account with them.
Our best free Heineken Cup betting tips
- Open accounts with a number of online bookmakers, get free bets and choose the best odds.
- Insure your bets, from time to time boomakers will offer cashback or money back free bet refunds, giving you a free bet as way of consolation if you back a loser.
Best Free Bets bookmaker reviews provide details of each bookmaker’s offers and promotions. By their nature, offers and promotions can change and we advise you visit the bookmaker’s website and check the available promotions before placing your bet.
CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR LIST OF BOOKMAKER REVIEWS
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