This weekend 44 of Europe's top club and district sides, from Scotland to Romania, will enter into tough competition for the European Cup, called the Heineken Cup, and the European Challenge Cup, called the Amlin Challenge Cup.

As we look forward it may be of value to look back. In looking back the biggest surprise may in fact be Colomiers - beaten Heineken finalists in 1999 and now no longer present in either competition.

Heineken Cup

The European Cup, named the Heineken Cup after its sponsors but called the H Cup in France because of restrictions on alcohol advertising, is not all that old. In fact only 15 years old but has been a great success.

Each of the Six Nations (England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France and Italy) has teams taking part. (Romania had a team in 1995-96.) There are 24 teams in the competition, each country choosing its teams in its own way.

Heineken Cup Final Results

There have been 15 finals.

1996: Toulouse vs Cardiff, 21-18
1997: Brive vs Leicester Tigers, 28-9
1998: Baths vs Brive, 19-18
1999: Ulster vs Colomiers, 21-6
2000: Northampton Saints vs Munster, 9-8
2001: Leicester Tigers vs Stade Français, 34-30
2002: Leicester Tigers vs Munster, 15-9
2003: Toulouse vs Perpignan, 22-17
2004: London Wasps vs Toulouse, 27-20
2005: Toulouse vs Stade Français, 18-12
2006: Munster vs Biarritz, 23-19
2007: London Wasps vs Leicester Tigers, 25-9
2008: Munster vs Toulouse, 16-13
2009: Leinster vs Leicester Tigers, 19-16
2010: Toulouse vs Biarritz, 21-19
2011: Leinster vs Northampton Saints, 33-22

Finalists by nationality

England: 10
Scotland: 0
Ireland: 7
Wales: 1
France: 14

Winners by nationality

England: 6
Scotland: 0
Ireland: 5
Wales: 0
France: 5

Spectators at Finals

Heineken Cup

1996: 21 800 at Cardiff Arms Park
1997: 41 664 at Cardiff Arms Park
1998: 36 500 at Stade Lescure Bordeaux
1999: 49 000 at Lansdowne Road
2000: 68 441 at Twickenham
2001: 44 000 at Parc des Princes
2002: 74 000 at Millennium Stadium
2003: 28 600 at Lansdowne Road
2004: 73 057 at Twickenham
2005: 51 326 at Murrayfield
2006: 74 534 at Millennium Stadium
2007: 81 076 at Twickenham
2008: 74 417 at Millennium Stadium
2009: 66 523 at Murrayfield
2010: 78 962 at Stade de France
2011: 72 456 at Millennium Stadium

Amlin Challenge Cup

The European Challenge Cup has had a less stable history than the Heineken Cup. It started as the European Conference Cup, then the European Shield, then the Parker Pen Shield, then Parker Pen Challenge Cup and now the Amlin Challenge Cup, where Amlin is a London-based insurance company.

The numbers have varied with countries coming and going. At present it has teams from the Six Nations, Spain and Romania but there have also been teams from Portugal. The number of teams taking part has varied and at one stage the Shield was for those knocked out of the Challenge Cup, then the European Challenge Cup and now the Amlin Challenge Cup. This year 20 teams are taking part.

Finals

1997: Bourgoin vs Castres, 18–9
1998: Colomiers vs Agen,  43–5
1999: Montferrand vs Bourgoin, 35–16
2000: Pau vs Castres, 34–21
2001: Harlequins vs Narbonne,  42–33
2002: Sale vs Pontypridd,  25–22
2003: London Wasps vs Bath,  48–30
2004: Harlequins vs Montferrand, 27–26
2005: Sale vs Pau, 27–3
2006: Gloucester vs London Irish, 36–34 (after extra time)
2007: Clermont Auvergne vs Bath, 22–16
2008: Bath vs Worcester Warriors,  24–16
2009: Northampton Saints vs Bourgoin, 15–3
2010: Cardiff Blues vs Toulon, 28–21
2011: Harlequins vs Stade Français, 19-18

Finalists by nationality

England: 13
Scotland: 0
Ireland: 0
Wales: 2
France: 15

Winners by nationality

England: 9
Scotland: 0
Ireland: 0
Wales: 1
France: 5

Spectators at Finals

Amlin Cup

1997: 10 000 at Stade de la Méditérranée, Béziers
1998: 12 500 at Stade des Sept Deniers, Toulouse
1999: 31 986 at Stade de Gerland, Lyon
2000: 6 000 at Stade des Sept Deniers, Toulouse
2001: 10 013 at Madejski Stadium, Reading
2002: 12 000 at Kassam Stadium, Oxford
2003: 18 074 at Madejski Stadium, Reading
2004: 13 123 at Madejski Stadium, Reading
2005: 7 230 at Kassam Stadium, Oxford
2006: 12 053 at The Stoop, London
2007: 10 134 at The Stoop, London
2008: 16 157 at Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester
2009: 9 260 at The Stoop, London
2010: 48 990 at Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
2011: 12 236 at Cardiff City Stadium