World Club Championship progressing

[Old Hob]

The Times today, has a report that Europe and Super Rugby are closer to a Club World Cup in 2028. The Times says the organisers of the Investec Champions Cup, European Professional Club Rugby, the northern hemisphere and South African clubs agreed key principles with their southern hemisphere counterparts so that the competition could take place in 4 years time.

The tournament would do away with the latter stages of the Champions Cup every 4 years so there would be no European champion that year. Instead, the 8 quarter finalists would be pitched against the six top-ranked Super Rugby Pacific teams with two guests probably from Japan.

The competition would take place in a 4 week block in June in the year after a World Cup so it will not clash with a Lion's tour.

[GB72]

Interesting.

Does that mean that the National teams are giving up on the cash cow Summer tour in favour of a competition that would fund the club and not the national game.

Not sure that is going to win much favour, even more so amongst the Southern Hemisphere nations that rely on the significant income from the Home Nations and France coming to tour every Summer.

[Old Hob]

Vodacom Bulls have highlighted the difficulties they face with the uncertainty of knowing where their next game in the European Cup will be played when knockout games are a week apart. Players are booked on 8 different flights to get to Saints for next Saturday; some direct, some via Schipol. Similarly, there was Toulouse (I think) who flew to S Africa, then France then Ireland. Apparently, it is about £100, 000 a pop.
The proposed world championship as a knockout tournament in 4 weeks involving every tier 1 nation and Japan will surely be an even worse logistical nightmare and make it impossible for fans to follow unless they are extremely well heeled or, of course, are on freebies.

[Old Hob]

Rob Baxter throwing doubt on the whole idea. IF it is properly funded and organised and IF there is profit in it for the clubs then he's OK with it. But, if it's the usual suck it and see he foresees many problems. Having to arrange a quick flight to France, for instance, is costing the club 10s of thousands of pounds. If they had to go to New Zealand, what then? The toll on the players and the financial cost to the club may sink some.

I think he's got this right.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/68789267