The former Wasps captain joined the Champions Rugby Show to talk about the birth of the competition and some of the great moments he enjoyed - including lifting the trophy in 2004 and 2007.

The 2004 triumph - culminating in that memorable 27-20 Twickenham triumph over the mighty French side - capped an incredible 12 months for Dallaglio after lifting the World Cup with England in November 2003.

Dallaglio said: “I know Toulouse were the early pacesetters in Europe. They had that wonderful philosophy - they were probably ahead of their time in many ways.

“They were certainly the team that everyone aspired to - the Real Madrid if you like of the rugby world. It’s great to see them on the 25th anniversary back at the top table, dining royally, right where they belong.

“So yeah, an extraordinary journey and as I said outside of Test rugby - and even at times, I’m sure we’ll reflect on some of those club games - those club games were as big as any Test match I’ve played in ever.

“I still rank my own good fortune of being involved and leading Wasps to the Heineken Cup final, and success, against Toulouse as right up there with anything to do with international rugby including the World Cup.”

Dallaglio, who retired back in 2008, treasures his Heineken Champions Cup memories and talked at length how the birth of the competition changed rugby for the better.

“It was something very different. Rugby in the early days was terribly simple. In the Courage League as was, and then became the Premiership, there was no home or away fixtures - it was just home or away. So you played maybe 10 teams or nine teams once a season, then on top of that there was maybe four international matches and a handful of regional games.

“So rugby had a very simple look to it and then all of a sudden someone came up with the idea that we should play home and away so that gave perhaps more of a level playing field to fixtures and almost overnight doubled the number of domestic fixtures.

“Then of course the natural progression - as we saw in other sports like football, with what became the Champions League - was to play each other across the borders. When I first started playing for Wasps, when they were based in London, on the eve of every international fixture we would have an anglo-Welsh fixture against a Welsh team. If England were playing France there would be an anglo-French fixture against one of the French club sides.

“I guess it was kind of happening without people realising. Wasps would play Racing on a Friday night before England v France. My debut I think was against Neath on a Friday night down at the Gnoll before Wales v England - that was some introduction to rugby, let me tell you.

“So the natural progression was to see the birth of this wonderful Heineken Champions Cup tournament, which I can’t believe is now this year celebrating its 25th anniversary. For me, it was the next step to get those wonderful European rivalries.”

Dallaglio also emphasised the sheer stature of the competition now, and just how highly it ranks for the people who play in it.

“Outside of a World Cup, for me, it’s probably the greatest rugby tournament on earth,” he added. “I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in a few World Cups and to have won a World Cup and probably just behind the World Cup I genuinely believe it’s the hardest tournament to win.

“I had many glorious failures as well. To get to two finals and to get over the line with some wonderful colleagues and playing partners was truly spectacular.”

Listen to the full Champions Rugby Show with Lawrence Dallaglio by clicking HERE or by using Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Lawrence is also taking on his sixth Dallaglio Cycle Slam this summer to raise money and awareness for his charity RugbyWorks, cycling around 1800km from Valencia to Lisbon.

Dallaglio RugbyWorks is an intensive, long-term skills development programme based on the values of rugby, aiming to get teenagers outside of mainstream education into sustained education, employment or training.

To donate, click the link HERE.

Former Wasps and England No.8 Lawrence Dallaglio says leading his club to Heineken Cup glory against Toulouse is right up there with winning the World Cup with his country.