2008–09 Heineken Cup

The 2008–09 Heineken Cup was the fourteenth edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. It started in October 2008 and ended on 23 May 2009 at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. Irish side Leinster became the champions, defeating Leicester Tigers 19–16 in the final.

Seven French teams competed, as a French team, Toulouse, progressed further in the previous year's tournament than any English or Italian team.

Four Welsh teams competed, as Italy forfeited its place in the Italo-Celtic playoff and a Welsh team were the highest-placed team in the previous year's Celtic league not to qualify otherwise. Other nations had their usual number of participants: England six, Ireland three, Italy two and Scotland two.

The seeding system for participating teams changed from previous editions of the Heineken Cup. Previously, each participating nation would seed one of their teams and these six teams would be drawn in different groups at the group stage. Starting with the 2008–09 edition, the 24 competing teams were ranked based on past Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup performance, with each group receiving one team from each quartile, or Tier. The requirement to have only one team per country in each group however, still applied (with the exception of the inclusion of the seventh French team).

The brackets show each team's European Rugby Club Ranking before the start of the 2008–09 season.

The draw for the pool stages took place on 17 June 2008 in Dublin.

The draw for the quarter-finals took place on 27 January at Murrayfield Stadium.

11 April 2009 15:30

Cardiff Blues	9–6	Toulouse
Pen: Blair (3/3) 1', 30', 57'	Report	Pen: Michalak (1/1) 5' Skrela (1/1) 64'

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 36,728 Referee: Chris White (England)

11 April 2009 18:00

Leicester Tigers	20–15	Bath
Try: Dupuy 80' m Pen: Vesty (5/5) 20', 22', 51', 55', 67'	Report	Try: Berne 35' c Maddock 64' m Con: James (1/2) Pen: James (1/2) 45'

Walkers Stadium, Leicester Attendance: 26,100 Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)

12 April 2009 13:00

Munster	43–9	Ospreys
Try: Warwick 34' c O'Connell 55' c Earls (2) 63' c, 65' c Con: O'Gara (4/4) Pen: O'Gara (3/3) 14', 20', 50' Drop: Warwick (2) 39', 58'	Report	Pen: Hook (3/6) 16', 30', 45'

Thomond Park, Limerick Attendance: 26,000 Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

12 April 2009 15:30

Harlequins	5–6	Leinster
Try: Brown 65' m	Report	Pen: Contepomi (2/2) 15', 39'

Twickenham Stoop, London Attendance: 12,638 Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

• This match became notorious for the "Bloodgate" scandal. Quins coach Dean Richards was banned from rugby for three years for his role in faking an injury to wing Tom Williams so that Quins could send in a blood replacement. Williams himself was initially banned for a year, but after he revealed the full extent of the scheme, the ban was reduced to four months.

2 May 2009 17:30

Munster	6–25	Leinster
Pen: O'Gara (2/2) 18', 36'	Report Report	Try: D'Arcy 30' m Fitzgerald 42' c B. O'Driscoll 61' c Con: Sexton (2/3) Pen: Sexton (1/1) 26' Drop: Contepomi (1/1) 15'

Croke Park, Dublin Attendance: 82,208 Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

3 May 2009 15:00

Cardiff Blues	26–26 (a.e.t.)	Leicester Tigers
Try: Roberts 73' c James 74' c Con: Blair (2/2) Pen: Blair (2/2) 14', 33' Halfpenny 27', 35'	Report	Try: Hamilton 21' c G. Murphy 45' c Con: Dupuy (2/2) Pen: Dupuy (4/7) 24', 38', 54', 56'
	Penalties
Blair Y N. Robinson Y Halfpenny Y Sweeney Y James N Shanklin Y Rees Y M. Williams N	6–7	Y Dupuy Y Vesty Y G. Murphy N J. Murphy Y Hamilton Y Mauger Y Newby Y Crane

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 44,212 Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)

23 May 2009 17:00

Leicester Tigers	16–19	Leinster
Try: Woods 38' c Con: Dupuy (1/1) Pen: Dupuy (3/3) 8', 33', 42'	(Report)	Try: Heaslip 49' c Con: Sexton (1/1) Pen: Sexton (2/3) 24', 70' Drop: O'Driscoll (1/1) 5' Sexton (1/1) 17'

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 66,523 Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)