Following the recent signing of the 2007 Accord, the Board of ERC (European Rugby Cup Ltd.) directed a Working Party, made up of representatives of clubs, Unions and the ERC Executive, to develop a merit based ranking system to reward consistent European performance.

The new ERC European Ranking aims to reward and incentivise teams who consistently perform at the highest level in European competition over four seasons by separating the leading teams in the pool stages.

The 24 competing teams will continue to qualify through their domestic tournaments and will then, for the purposes of the pool draw, be awarded different points for their finishing positions in the two ERC organised competitions - the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup - over the previous four seasons.

Teams can earn between one to 11 points each season in the Heineken Cup and up to five points in the European Challenge Cup to go towards their four season roll-over ERC European Ranking.

The rankings will establish four tiers of six teams each with the reigning Heineken Cup champions automatically going into the top spot in Tier 1 along with Europe's other, currently, most successful teams.

The draw, which is scheduled to take place in June, will distribute one team from each of the four Tier levels into each of the six pools.

As before, no teams from the same country will be drawn in the same pool with the exception of when there are seven teams qualified from either England or France.

Under the new system, irrespective of qualification for the knock-out stages, all teams will be incentivised to finish in the highest possible position in the Heineken Cup.

And progress through to the knock-out stages of the European Challenge Cup will also carry extra value and be of major importance for those emerging clubs as they attempt to climb the European ladder.

ERC chairman Jean-Pierre Lux said: "We believe this new ranking system to be a major and important step forward in the on-going development and growth of European club rugby's premier tournaments, a bold move that reflects the positive thinking of those involved in the ERC competitions following the signing of the recent 2007 Accord.

"European results have become the accepted yardstick by which clubs judge themselves and now those same results will have a direct bearing on their European rankings as we look forward to the initiative enhancing both tournaments in the seasons ahead."

ERC European Ranking Points System:

Heineken Cup winners, 2 points, 10/11 total points

Heineken Cup finalists, 2 points, 8/9 total points

Heineken Cup semi-finalists, 2 points, 6/7 total points

Heineken Cup quarter-finalists, 1 point, 4/5 total points

European Challenge Cup winners, 2 points, 5 total points

European Challenge Cup finalists, 2 points, 3 total points

European Challenge Cup semi-finalists, 1 point, 2 total points

European Challenge Cup quarter-finalists, 1 point, 1 total point

Pool winners, 4 points

Second in pool, 3 points

Third in pool, 2 points

Fourth in pool, 1 point

For the current ERC European Rankings, please click here.