Heineken Cup chance for Wasps

Published: Thursday, 26. April, 2012 in category London Wasps
Wasps: Could earn a Heineken Cup place

The unlikely route into Europe's top competition will be open to them if either Clermont Auvergne or Edinburgh win this year's competition.

Edinburgh face Ulster in a Dublin semi-final this Saturday and Clermont host defending champions Leinster in Bordeaux.

Wasps would also have to secure their own Aviva Premiership status, which they can do with a single bonus point against Newcastle on May 5.

If Ulster and Leinster both win this weekend to set up an all-Ireland Heineken Cup then the last qualification place for next year's competition will go to Connacht.

If Edinburgh or Clermont do prevail, Wasps will qualify as the highest-ranked non-French club not to have already qualified.

The ERC rankings are based on European performances over the past four years.

Heineken Cup qualification would be a massive shot in the arm for a club desperate to find new financial backers.

Wasps face going into administration unless they can find a new owner by June, following the recent collapse of takeover talks with a prospective buyer.