Glasgow will face reigning champions Toulon and Jonny Wilkinson while Edinburgh have a stiff test against former champions Munster in next season’s Heineken Cup pools.
The Warriors will take on the star-studded team from the French Riviera as well as Cardiff Blues and Exeter Chiefs in Pool Two, while Edinburgh will take on the Irish province, French side Perpignan and Gloucester from the Aviva Premiership in Pool Six.
Toulon won their first Heineken Cup last month beating new Scotland head coach Vern Cotter’s Clermont-Auvergne 17-16 in the final in Dublin.
The French side are bankrolled by comics millionaire Mourad Boudjellal and feature a number of high-profile, big-money recruits including Australia’s Matt Giteau, All Blacks Carl Heyman and Chris Masoe, as well as French stars Matieu Basteraud and Freddie Michalak.
Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend said he had fond memories of playing club rugby at Toulon’s atmospheric Stade Mayol.
“I played there twice in my career and it was unquestionably a highlight, an experience and atmosphere like nothing in club rugby,” he said.
“Toulon almost did the double of Heineken Cup and Top 14 and have a world class team. I can’t wait and it will be a cracking game with them at Scotstoun.”
Townsend added that he had great respect for the other two clubs in the draw.
“Cardiff have a number of British and Irish Lions and their young stand-off Rhys Patchell is going to be an outstanding inter-national fly-half,” he said. “I have a soft spot for Exeter because my brother played for them for many year and they’ve had a great first year of experience in the Heineken Cup playing Leinster and Clermont.”
Glasgow have never qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition, but Edinburgh have a tough task if they are to repeat the qualification and eventual semi-final performance of two years ago in a tough group.
The capital side are still waiting to confirm the identity of their next head coach, but stand-in Stevie Scott said that it was an exciting draw.