1
French giants Toulouse unveil radical idea for next season's Champions Cup - report
French giants Toulouse have unveiled a revised format for the 2020/21 Champions Cup that would see Europe’s premier club tournament return to having 24 teams for the first time since 2013/14. Civil war in the boardrooms around that time led to the formation of EPCR, who took over the running of the European tournaments from ERC.
ADVERTISEMENT
One of its first alterations was the reduction in the number of participants from 24 to 20 for the first time since the 1998/99 European Cup. However, with the coronavirus pandemic leading to the shutdown of the 2019/20 campaign, four-time winners Toulouse have hatched a plan that would increase the number of qualifiers for next season’s tournament but free up two extra weekends in the calendar.
In a report published by French sports daily L’Equipe, room to manoeuvre is viewed as invaluable next season due to the likelihood that the fixtures list will the top-heavy with international matches, while the leagues in France and England will seek to prioritise their domestic schedules.
So rather than have the European qualifiers play six pool matches over the winter as has long been the tradition, Toulouse have instead proposed eight pools of three teams which would result in each club having just four group matches and this would free up two weekends.
There is no guarantee that the Top 14, Gallagher Premiership and Guinness PRO14 leagues for 2019/20 can be concluded, but the proposal suggests that each of these tournaments provides eight teams to participate in next season’s Champions Cup.
This French idea will have its work cut out convincing PRO14 clubs of its merit, though. Rather than have three guaranteed home games as has long been the case, this format would reduce that schedule to two and whether a union such as the IRFU would agree is far from certain due to the importance they attach to European fixtures.
The Champions Cup’s potential return to 24 teams would also be seen as hugely ironic in countries like Ireland, who had been happy with the old 24-team system under the disbanded ERC but were forced into the reduction to 20 teams by the warring English and French factions.
ADVERTISEMENT
EPCR’s delivery of a brighter future has already proven though going. Believing a multi-partnership sponsorship model was the best way forward, they jettisoned Heineken as long-serving title sponsor of the old European Cup only to find new partners were slow in materialised and the tournament became the Heineken Champions Cup last season.
If there is no resumption in the leagues in the current season, the current top eight in France is Bordeaux, Lyon, Racing, Toulon, La Rochelle, Clermont, Toulouse and Montpellier.
The Premiership’s top eight is Exeter, Sale, Bristol, Northampton, Wasps, Bath, Harlequins and London Irish, while the best eight in the PRO14 is Leinster, Edinburgh, Munster, Ulster, Scarlets, Connacht, Glasgow and Cardiff, who would qualify as the Cheetahs are ineligible to play in Europe.
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments