RugbyRebels

The blueprint for a new ‘Club World Cup’ is understood to have been agreed with a tournament involving the top 16 sides from the northern and southern hemispheres scheduled to start in 2025, Telegraph Sport can reveal.

Under the bold proposals eight northern hemisphere clubs and seven from the southern hemisphere, plus a Japanese side, would be placed in four pools, each playing two matches against teams from the other hemisphere. The winner of each pool would progress to the semi-finals ahead of a final to crown the best club side in the world.

The competition, which would take place instead of the knockout rounds of the Champions Cup and see the Premiership final brought forward to early May, would happen once every four years ahead of a British and Irish Lions tour.

The format is understood to have been endorsed by key stakeholders, including Premiership Rugby and representatives for players. Discussions have now moved into the final stage, with talks including due diligence, commercials, and detailed travel plans expected to be concluded in September.

It is hoped that the prospect of the likes of Leicester, Saracens, Exeter, Leinster, Munster, Toulouse and La Rochelle taking on the Crusaders, Hurricanes and Reds will drive interest in the club game to a new level and provide a much-needed financial boost following the impact of the global pandemic.

“This is going to be massive for the club game and should generate huge interest from supporters, sponsors and broadcasters in both hemispheres,” said one source. “For the first time we are going to be able to declare which side is the best in the world.”

The plan is for the tournament to start in 2025 to avoid a clash with next year’s World Cup and the proposed new Nations Championship that is currently under discussion as part of global calendar talks. That competition is expected to start in 2024 and be held every two years.

The Premiership is expected to finish early in May 2025 to allow the Club World Cup to take centre stage as a lucrative finale to the season. It is expected to be held in European locations (which are yet to be confirmed) for the first tournament and future competitions may be held in one country, for example South Africa.

You know, I came into this thread expecting to be rolling my eyes and denouncing them trying to fit another thing into the season, but... I don't utterly hate that? Replacing the Champions Cup gives it a place in the season and I think from the writeup that it would actually reduce the number of games in a BIL season and reduce the clashes between finals and the start of the tour. It appears to be fewer bigger games. I'm cautiously in favour, until they inevitably cock it up mid-negotiations and turn it into a 64 team tournament with home and away knock-outs.

Only 8 sides from each hemisphere will be tough qualification. 3 from England, 3 from France and 2 from Celts? Would hope they'd qualify it on league results rather than having the quarter finalists of the last year's ERC, as that would likely be more meritocratic, but who knows.

Puja

It could work but I think it has to be accompanied by a severe reduction in European fixtures. Originally, I was an avid fan of the European competition and would not have dreamt of missing the final, even, say, involving two French clubs. Now, I only watch English clubs and I 'cherry-pick' games involving those. I'd go further and say that I groan with displeasure when it's a European weekend and sigh with relief when English club weekends return.

The world club idea could work, IMO, but ONLY if the European competition is reduced to a similar (total) 16 club size.

Puja wrote:Would hope they'd qualify it on league results rather than having the quarter finalists of the last year's ERC, as that would likely be more meritocratic, but who knows.

Puja

The way I read it, the group stages are the qualifier for the Club World Cup.

Rugby league has tried this a few times, right? Seems like a fairly reckless use of carbon.

Mellsblue wrote:

Puja wrote:Would hope they'd qualify it on league results rather than having the quarter finalists of the last year's ERC, as that would likely be more meritocratic, but who knows.

Puja

The way I read it, the group stages are the qualifier for the Club World Cup.

Aw shit. That's signficantly worse. And how does that work with South African clubs in the ERC? If they're included in our 8, then that's massively unbalanced in the favour of Aus and NZ sides.

I *knew* they'd find a way to fuck it up!

Puja

Puja wrote:

Mellsblue wrote:

Puja wrote:Would hope they'd qualify it on league results rather than having the quarter finalists of the last year's ERC, as that would likely be more meritocratic, but who knows.

Puja

The way I read it, the group stages are the qualifier for the Club World Cup.

Aw shit. That's signficantly worse. And how does that work with South African clubs in the ERC? If they're included in our 8, then that's massively unbalanced in the favour of Aus and NZ sides.

I *knew* they'd find a way to fuck it up!

Puja

‘Under the bold proposals eight northern hemisphere clubs and seven from the southern hemisphere ‘

No idea how they square that circle. There’s obviously a good chance I have it wrong but I’ve no idea what the point of playing the group stages other than for it to be quail for the Club World Cup.

Mellsblue wrote:

Puja wrote:

Mellsblue wrote: The way I read it, the group stages are the qualifier for the Club World Cup.

Aw shit. That's signficantly worse. And how does that work with South African clubs in the ERC? If they're included in our 8, then that's massively unbalanced in the favour of Aus and NZ sides.

I *knew* they'd find a way to fuck it up!

Puja

‘Under the bold proposals eight northern hemisphere clubs and seven from the southern hemisphere ‘

No idea how they square that circle. There’s obviously a good chance I have it wrong but I’ve no idea what the point of playing the group stages other than for it to be quail for the Club World Cup.

When the article said "instead of the knockout stages", I had read that as "in the place of the season where the knockout stages would normally occur", and that the group stages would not be happening to give the domestic leagues the time they'd need to finish earlier, but unfortunately, I think your interpretation is the correct one.

ETA. Further research confirms that you are correct and it is in fact actually *adding* one extra game to the domestic season just before the Lions, rather than removing any. Why did I even think to hope?

Puja

Too much rugby

Should be 1 game, between Super Rugby champions and HEC champions.
But even that would (IMO) need to come with a reduction in the European cup, and Prem (T14 is probably okay as they are A] used to it, with a long history, and B] only play the 2 competitions, not trying to squeeze in a bloody pointless cup in as well)

Is there any real value to this?

Epaminondas Pules wrote:Is there any real value to this?

I can see a value. If it were to replace the ERC entirely for 1 season in every 4, I can see it being enough of a novelty and rare occurrence that it could be filling out big stadia like Twickenham, Millennium and Stade de France (possibly even destinations like Barcelona or Milan). There could be real money to be made and an opportunity to shrink the number of games in Lions' seasons without reducing the income. A potential win-win for all.

However, it appears that we're trying to fit it in as an added extra bolt-on and so it won't be "the best vs the best," but "whomever the Europeans still have fit to drag onto the pitch vs fresh and well-managed Kiwis."

Puja

Epaminondas Pules wrote:Is there any real value to this?

Not for me really.

Hate not having a European Cup champion once every 4 years.

Can’t understand how Oz & NZ get 7 teams (out of their 9/10) entered into the competition.

If you’re going to have something like this it needs to happen every year, while finding a way not to add any games to the calendar. Club teams don’t peak once every 4 years like international teams aim to. Theoretically that great Toulon team that won 3 HC’s could have missed the opportunity to even play in this, as they had 3 incredible seasons and then dropped away dramatically as players aged/left. They were one of the greatest club teams we’ve seen. So what does this tournament aim to prove?

Timbo wrote:So what does this tournament aim to prove?

That CVC would sell their granny if they thought they could

And if you’re going to have 16 teams just do 4 rounds of straight knock out. A group phase of 4 groups of 4 where teams play 2 (what?!) games and then go through to a semi. This is so typical of rugby governance.

Is there a sport where the world club comp has actually flourished?

Epaminondas Pules wrote:Is there a sport where the world club comp has actually flourished?

Baseball?

Which Tyler wrote:

Epaminondas Pules wrote:Is there a sport where the world club comp has actually flourished?

Baseball?