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Inaugural World Club Cup on course for 2028 launch
Rugby union’s inaugural World Club Cup is on course to launch in 2028 as talks over the new competition reach an advanced stage.
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All five leagues involved in the four-week tournament that will be hosted in the northern hemisphere in June are in support of the concept being driven by European Professional Club Rugby, the PA news agency understands.
While an agreement has yet to be finalised, the format of the WCC is taking shape with eight European sides, six from Super Rugby and two teams from Japan to be involved.
Qualification is meritocratic only with the top eight seeds from the group stage of the Investec Champions Cup given the chance to compete, even if some nations are unrepresented as a result.
The competition will run every four years, meaning there will not be a European champion for that year, although a more competitive Challenge Cup will take place for those not involved in the WCC.
Crucially, the Gallagher Premiership, Top 14 and United Rugby Championship are open to playing their finals in May in order to accommodate the new tournament in June.
Reaching this point in the planning process is a significant achievement for EPCR chairman Dominic McKay and chief executive Jacques Raynaud given the concept of matching the best club sides from Europe and the southern hemisphere has been mooted for years without any progress being made.
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It is understood that the prospect of a strong commercial return for all stakeholders from the WCC has been key to the momentum behind establishing it in 2028.
EPCR is also aiming to launch a women’s version of the Champions Cup in 2026 with talks between the relevant leagues and unions to be held in June.
When the Blues went north to play the European champions in the late 90s and thumped them, the NH has never wanted a bar of a world club championship.
Now years later the NH and now Japanese clubs having strip-mined SH Super sides of as many players and coaches as they can get their hands on for their own teams, it suddenly seems like a great idea to them.
They just had to wait for the Crusaders to finally slip.
I'd have much preferred this in year three of the World Cup cycle. Playing in Europe, just after the world cup exodus, seems like a pretty tall order.
Six Super Rugby Teams? Really? Just the top 8 from the champions cup? are you kidding me?
Far too many super rugby teams for this competition, sorry to say it but with the quality of Super Rugby these days, how did they swing this? There are 16 positions and 5 comps, rather make it 3 from each competition and one invitational side from the Argies (bring back the Jaguares).
However still not intrigued to watch it…
Holds no interest for me. I don’t want All Blacks getting burnout with an extra competition.
I hope the NZ teams send extended squads of young players who need the experience.
Initially, I thought it would be a great idea! However, on reflection, I don’t know what benefits a Super Rugby team ( I loath them being referred to as clubs) or a club from Japan would take away from this. Teams from Australia and New Zealand don’t even mix with our friends in Japan on a regular basis as it is, beside maybe a preseason trip or two. Maybe, a regional tournament model that would result in the winners playing each other for a World Club trophy instead? I don’t know, but I’m struggling to see the value in it when the goal for any one playing at that level isn’t to match up against a club from half way around the world, but to push for selection in a national team to represent their country. Just my 2 cents.
I don’t like this.
There are enough rugby competitions. Creating more will just devalue what we already have.