World Club Championship

[ay2oh]

All driven by Southern Hemisphere teams need for money

[GB72]

All driven by Southern Hemisphere teams need for money

Exactly it from my point of view. All the proposed changes recently from this to SA involvement at club and 6 nations level is all about the Southern Hemisphere teams looking to get in on the more profitable areas of European Rugby. We need less rugby competitions to lessen the player strain rather than more or, in this case, one that would potentially damage what is the crown jewel of European Rugby.

[markharbtiger]

Like we need yet MORE rugby competitions. The calendar is too crowded as it is. But as ever, this is about the money not the sport (or players).

[tigerburnie]

Player welfare my :censored:(with a nod to Ricky Tomlinson)

[johnthegriff]

As an attender at matches I would obviously go to watch my team at home at least However the format is biased against club rugby, the Union run provincial teams would of course have all their players available whilst English and French clubs would have to release or rest players due to international commitments.
We currently struggle to ensure that England international players participate in only 31 games per season, we struggle to adequately pay for a large enough squad of quality to cover for the eight or more games per season when our internationals are away. The season is disrupted for the World Cup, for Lion's tours and for international tours clubs participating in this proposed new competition will be seriously disadvantaged the following season, playing careers will be shortened and the quality of a club's league matches will be reduced, less value for the season ticket holder but ok for the tv viewer. They will kill our game but possibly only after they kill a few players.

[GB72]

As an attender at matches I would obviously go to watch my team at home at least However the format is biased against club rugby, the Union run provincial teams would of course have all their players available whilst English and French clubs would have to release or rest players due to international commitments.
We currently struggle to ensure that England international players participate in only 31 games per season, we struggle to adequately pay for a large enough squad of quality to cover for the eight or more games per season when our internationals are away. The season is disrupted for the World Cup, for Lion's tours and for international tours clubs participating in this proposed new competition will be seriously disadvantaged the following season, playing careers will be shortened and the quality of a club's league matches will be reduced, less value for the season ticket holder but ok for the tv viewer. They will kill our game but possibly only after they kill a few players.

Sadly I get the impression that the slow and steady decline of the club game is exactly what the rugby authorities want. Club rugby disappears to be replaced by franchise rugby controlled by and creating profit for the RFU whilst also providing total control over player releases. Part of me still feels that the RFU regrets not centralising contracts and taking control on day one of the professional era and the disolution of clubs and the creation of a franchise system is their way of regaining that control. To my mind the aim is a cricket type system with the top players contracted to the RFU, a franchise system of teams as teh equivalent of the T20 and 100 teams then a semi pro club game dawdling along in the background for history's sake, a bit like county cricket.

I know, but just because I am paranoid, does not mean that they are not watchin gme.

[Scott1]

More rugby? Isn’t it just taking the place of the HC and only happening once every 4 years?!

[Scott1]

This isn’t throwing any bait out,but I am genuinely interested to see the age demographics for those for and against. It seems to be the older you get the less receptive to change you are and stuck in your ways you seem to be. I’m early 40s and am already like this in certain things so it isn’t a dig. Just trying to make a point that things change,we just have to get on board. Will it make the game better? Absolutely,how can elite global club rugby be bad? I get the player welfare thing but as long as it’s only every 4 years and is taking the place of another competition I see no problem. Imagine being a Leicester Tigers player taking part in this? You’d be absolutely buzzing!

[Ian Cant]

One thing Springs to mind: Player Welfare so NO THANKS.
Look at all the injuries in the recent England v Australia matches: the players need a dam good rest and with the salary cap in England our squads aren’t big enough.
Same for me with Europe: didn’t want S. African clubs in that. Crazy idea.
At a push yes, play a World Club Final between
European Winner and Southern Hemisphere Club winners.

[Ian Cant]

Well said Johnthegriff. I’m not against change but not at the expense of the players’ welfare.
Cricket is another prime example: Ben Stokes being the most recent example of player burn out so retired from the England 50 Over team.
Then reading RyanJones’ article, Mahler and others and it’s obvious the players need to be respected not placed in situations where some will be “buzzing” to play but others will know the detrimental effect more intense games will have on their careers.

[GB72]

Again the cycnic in me looks at the Southern Hemisphere and they have one major tournament with Super Rugby. Once that is over, the chance to make decent income is over for the year so why not try and take some of that sweet Northern Hemisphere money by encroaching on the European Cup which will bring in some decent revenue and be played either at the end of our season or in the pre season but, either way, it will not be impacted by international absences either because the Southern Hemisphere get there matches played around their international window.

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

One off game between "Euro" champs & the "Ex Super Rugby" champs you can just about make an argument for, but how you make it work no idea....it would really need Carbon Offsetting as well.
A tournament is just 100% about the money.

Would I like to see Tigers v any NZ franchise, of course, but I genuinely can't see the way to make it work without devaluing something else.

Like others have said this looks like a way for Franchises/Regions in English Pro rugby.

[trendylfj]

In this format it is not for me - a one-off game between the 2 champions - OK - one year in the SH and next year in the NH, As many of you have said player welfare. Will this game count toward the number the players are allowed to play? They are trying to get our top players onto central contracts just like cricket when they will have a nominated club they are allowed to return to when not required. Our game is not like cricket which is essentially a one-on-one game and a player can return and slot in easily - not possible for rugby players. My other gripe is that why are they talking on one hand about players having compulsory rest periods and then trying to increase the number of competitions in the game = the answer is very very simple - MONEY

[bendy]

I think it's quite telling that this concept doesn't even work in football, when that game has long since sold its soul to the commercial $$$.

The World Club Championship (or whatever it's called) is the most sterile, unexciting competition in global football. The poor English teams who occassionally win the Champs League go through the whole thing with the sort of dead-eyed, low level of excitement that just screams "contractual obligation". They don't want to be there, no fans bother going to watch it, and zero people care who's current 'club world champion'.

I really can't see how it will be different for rugby.

[Scott1]

You keep saying player welfare bit isn't it "instead" of the HC or have i read it wrong? Apologies in advance but like I said its every 4 years too not annually! And if it is tied in with the HC and replaces the knockout stages then isn't the number of games exactly the same as when we had the 2 legged second round?