Heineken Cup champions Munster have been drawn alongside England's Sale and French sides Clermont Auvergne and Montauban in next season's pool stages.
Guinness Premiership champions Wasps drew Magners League champions Leinster, Castres and Edinburgh in Pool Two.
And Leicester are in possibly the toughest pool with French side Perpignan and Welsh side the Ospreys.
The draw in Dublin was seeded for the first time, with 24 teams from six nations split into four tiers.
606: DEBATE
Last season's runners-up Toulouse are in Pool Five with Bath, Newport Gwent Dragons and Glasgow, while Gloucester are pitted against French giants Biarritz, Cardiff Blues and Calvisano of Italy.
English side Harlequins will fancy their chances of advancing after being drawn with French giants Stade Francais, Llanelli Scarlets and Ulster in Pool Four.
Heineken Cup 2008/09 draw:
Pool 1
Munster (Ire)
Sale (Eng)
Clermont Auvergne (Fra)
Montauban (Fra)
Pool 2
Wasps (Eng)
Leinster (Ire)
Castres (Fra)
Edinburgh (Sco)
Pool 3
Leicester (Eng)
Perpignan (Fra)
Ospreys (Wal)
Treviso (Ita)
Pool 4
Stade Francais (Fra)
Llanelli Scarlets (Wal)
Ulster (Ire)
Harlequins (Eng)
Pool 5
Toulouse (Fra)
Bath (Eng)
Newport Gwent Dragons (Wal)
Glasgow (Sco)
Pool 6
Biarritz (Fra)
Gloucester (Eng)
Cardiff Blues (Wal)
Calvisano (Ita)
Heineken Cup fixtures:
Round One: 10-12 October
Round Two: 17-19 October
Round Three: 5-7 December
Round Four: 12-14 December
Round Five: 16-18 January
Round Six: 23-25 January
Quarter-finals: 10-12 April
Semi-finals: 1-3 May
Final: 22-24 May (Murrayfield)
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~26~RS~)