"On the eve of a new Champions Cup season it is worth remembering when and where it all began. The answer is 30 years ago on the shores of the Black Sea where Farul Constanta of Romania hosted France's mighty Toulouse in the opening pool game of the old Heineken Cup on 31 October 1995. Let's just say they were different times."
"The match was played on a Tuesday and, while the crowd was recorded as 3,000, eyewitnesses were focused on the large number of security personnel with barking Alsatian dogs straining at the leash. Toulouse, boasting an array of internationals including Emile Ntamack and Thomas Castaignede, duly registered eight tries and won 54-10. Only one British media representative the late, great Terry Godwin was in attendance"
The inaugural European club competition match took place on 31 October 1995 at Farul Constanta on the Black Sea, with Toulouse defeating the Romanian hosts 54-10. The crowd was recorded as 3,000, and heavy security with barking Alsatian dogs drew attention. Toulouse fielded several internationals, including Emile Ntamack and Thomas Castaignede, and scored eight tries. Travel and local conditions were rustic, with officials recalling donkey-drawn carts on a five-hour minibus journey and an evening entertained in a thinly populated nightclub. England and Scotland did not compete in that first season; Toulouse were crowned champions.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]