It began not surprisingly in modest circumstances with Stade Toulousain making the journey to play the Romanians of Farul Constanta in October 1995, and only the optimists who were on the shores of the Black Sea that day could have forecasted the trajectory of the fledgling competition. But nearly 30 years and close to 22 million spectators later, this most elite of club rugby tournaments has left an indelible mark on the global game.
