Bristol Bears will replace London Irish in the Heineken Champions Cup next season, tournament organsisers have confirmed.
The Exiles finished fifth in the Gallagher Premiership last season to claim a place in the premier European competition, with the Gallagher Premiership getting eight spots in the baggy 24-team competition. Pat Lam's Bristol side were set to miss out on the Champions Cup for the second straight year having finished ninth in the table on a dramatic final day that saw Bath clinch the final spot with a last-minute try to deliver a 61-29 win against a second string Saracens which gave them a superior points difference and was set to see the Bears play in the less glamourous Challenge Cup.
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