# 12 European Rugby Champions Cup Legends

> 12 players and coaches who defined Europe's premier club rugby competition since 1995.
- Title: 12 European Rugby Champions Cup Legends · Rugby World
- Summary: 12 players and coaches who defined Europe's premier club rugby competition since 1995. Brad Barritt, Leo Cullen, Christophe Deylaud and 10 others helped…
- Keywords: champions cup, leicester tigers, leinster, munster, saracens, toulon, toulouse, wasps, sports, European, Rugby, Champions
- Source: Rugby World — https://rugbyworld.com/news/european-champions-cup-legends-183655
- Published: 2026-10-13T09:48:08+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: champions cup, leicester tigers, leinster, munster, saracens, toulon, toulouse, wasps, sports
## European Champions Cup history
The competition began in 1995 with 3,000 fans watching Toulouse beat Romania’s Farul Constanţa 54-10.

> The competition’s come a long way since it kicked off on 31 october 1995
## Brad Barritt
Brad Barritt captained Saracens to three Champions Cup wins in 2016, 2017 and 2019.

> Brad Barritt was captain in all of them, 2016, 2017 and 2019
## Leo Cullen
Leo Cullen captained Leinster to four Champions Cup wins and later coached them to a 2018 title.

> Leinster have won four Champions Cups and Leo Cullen has been involved in the lot
## Christophe Deylaud
Christophe Deylaud scored Toulouse’s first Champions Cup win in 1996 against Cardiff.

> Deylaud, fly-half in a Toulouse team... was the man to grab his piece of history in the 1996 final
## Antoine Dupont
Antoine Dupont won Champions Cup titles with Toulouse in 2021 and 2024.

> Antoine Dupont, a Champions Cup winner in 2021 and 2024
## Anthony Foley
Anthony Foley captained Munster to their first Champions Cup win in 2006.

> Anthony Foley captained Munster to their first Champions Cup win in 2006
## Austin Healey
Austin Healey scored Leicester Tigers’ winning try in the 2001 Champions Cup final.

> Healey made the 79th-minute try for Leon Lloyd that gave Tigers a two-point lead
## Rob Howley
Rob Howley scored Wasps’ winning try in the 2004 Champions Cup final.

> Wasps and Toulouse were locked at 20-20 with two minutes to go when Howley speculatively poked the ball down the left touchline
## Isa Nacewa
Isa Nacewa helped Leinster win four Champions Cups and scored the winning penalty in 2018.

> Nacewa kicked the winning penalty as Leinster beat Racing 15-12 to win a fourth title
## Guy Novès
Guy Novès coached Toulouse to four Champions Cup wins including the first in 1996.

> Guy Novès guided Toulouse to four European titles, including the first one in 1996
## Ronan O’Gara
Ronan O’Gara won two Champions Cups with Munster and later coached La Rochelle to titles.

> Ronan O’Gara emulated that as a coach when he helped La Rochelle to titles in 2022 and 2023
## Johnny Sexton
Johnny Sexton won four Champions Cups with Leinster including the 2011 final.

> Johnny Sexton conquered Europe four times with Leinster but it was the 2011 final
## Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson won Champions Cups with Toulon in 2013 and 2014.

> Jonny Wilkinson lifted the Champions Cup with Toulon in 2013 and 2.14
## The legacy
These 12 players and coaches defined Europe’s premier club rugby competition since 1995.

> The dozen players we’ve chosen here have all made their mark in the competition
## Key takeaway

Brad Barritt, Leo Cullen, Christophe Deylaud and 10 others helped shape the European Champions Cup from 1995 to present.