Meyer's quest for the 'Holy Grail'
Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:00
Big dreams: Tigers boss Heyneke Meyer
After having claimed the southern hemisphere's biggest rugby prize, Leicester Tigers head coach Heyneke Meyer is confidently eyeing out the northern hemisphere's Holy Grail.
The 40-year-old lead the Bulls to their first Super 14 title in 2007, and now looks to add the Heineken Cup to his CV in a bid to make Leicester the best club side in the world.
The Tigers have already made a promising start to their season under the headstrong South African's leadership - currently sitting in second position on the Premiership table and leading Group B in the EDF Energy Cup after the first round.
Meyer admitted that the pull of Europe's biggest competition (Heineken Cup) was one of the main reasons he decided to take the Tigers job, and is in no mood to accept second best after signing a three-year contract at Welford Road.
"My long-term goal is to make Leicester the best club side in the world and we should be able to achieve that in my time here," Meyer told the Leicester Mercury.
"I've been involved in the top competition in the southern hemisphere and I am looking forward to being involved in the top competition in the northern hemisphere.
"There are more teams involved from more countries in the Heineken Cup, and I am looking forward to seeing different players and teams from different cultures. The Heineken Cup was one of the attractions for me coming to work in Europe.
"It is huge challenge for any team. It's a round-robin competition and a knock-out all in one.
"That makes it a really tough competition to win and you need to be 100 percent in every game.
"It's going to be an interesting challenge. There is no doubt the Heineken Cup is a top competition, and it is going to grow in stature and get better and better because so many of the world's top players are involved.
"Even in places like South Africa, the profile of the Heineken Cup is growing.
"I remember watching the Munster-Toulouse final at home. With all those supporters, there it was a great spectacle - there is a great vibe about the Heineken Cup."
Tigers will host the Ospreys on Sunday in their opening Pool Three Heineken Cup fixture, before travelling to Italy to play Treviso the following weekend.
