Newcastle Falcons director of rugby Dean Richards says reaching the Heineken Champions Cup was “something they’ve aspired to for a while” as he prepares to lead the club into their first season in Europe’s elite club competition for 13 years. The former Harlequins and FC Grenoble Rugby head coach revealed at the Heineken Champions Cup launch at St James’ Park on Wednesday that it was “dream come true” for the Falcons to play in the competition. The two-time winner of the European Cup has “lasting memories” of playing and coaching European rugby at the highest level, with back-to-back victories in 2001 and 2002 as head coach, as well as being runner-up as a player in 1997. “It was a dream season last year and to get into the Heineken Champions Cup is a dream come true for a lot of the boys,” said the 55-year-old. “It is something they’ve aspired to for a little while and now they’re here, let’s see what happens.” https://twitter.com/ChampionsCup/status/1047467084974895104 The former Leicester Tigers No. 8 has been in charge of the Falcons for six seasons and is eagerly anticipating the challenge of playing the top clubs around Europe, in what he believes is another level to the Gallagher Premiership. “It’s the best club competition in the world,” Richards added. “It is a step up from the Premiership in terms of the best teams from all the nations in Europe. “You always aspire to put your wits up against the best, which is what we’ll be doing. “When the pool was drawn and we saw Montpellier, RC Toulon and Edinburgh Rugby, we thought: ‘Wow that’s a hell of a pool’. “We talked it through as a coaching group and we all said how excited we were.” Newcastle Falcons captain Will Welch, who was born and bred in the city, echoed the thoughts of his director or rugby and described the significance of playing in the Heineken Champions Cup. https://twitter.com/ChampionsCup/status/1047479501398192129 “It means a hell of a lot for the club to be in the Heineken Champions Cup,” said the 28-year-old. “We haven’t been in it for a long time, so to get the opportunity to play in it for the club and everyone involved are massively excited. “It’s one of the exciting things for the fans, players and people involved with the club, when we get big European teams to play at home. “We’ve got to concentrate on the performance out there and hopefully we’ll get results.” With European Finals Weekend taking place at St James’ Park in Newcastle next May, Richards also believes it adds another dimension to their 2018/19 campaign in Europe. “Newcastle is the cultural capital of the North of England - why can’t it be the sporting capital of the North? “With the Rugby World Cup here in 2015, England coming next year and the European finals too, it’s starting to turn out that way,” added Richards.