Official sources say a Club World Cup is being 'pushed quite hard'
A Club World Cup could be established by 2028 as a “real warmth” to develop the concept grows, according to European Professional Club Rugby chairman Dominic McKay.
Earlier this week, the EPCR welcomed representatives from every club in its competitions as well as those from the United Rugby Championship, Ligue Nationale de Rugby and Premiership Rugby along with international governing bodies Six Nations Rugby, World Rugby and the women’s game for a stakeholders conference in Toulouse.
During the two-day event, which involved 42 clubs, delegates discussed the opportunities and challenges facing professional sides and tournaments.
As part of those, McKay revealed there was clear support from across Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand for a blueprint of the top teams in the world coming together for a combined competition every four years.
McKay feels a more balanced global international calendar now provides clarity on the weekend blocks potentially available. The event would likely be scheduled for the end of the Champions Cup, with the best European qualifiers then going up against those from the southern hemisphere, including Japan, in a knockout competition during the June window.
“There is a real warmth to develop a Club World Cup. A number of clubs from France and the UK were pushing us quite hard,” McKay said.
“We know it is a complicated project. We are keen to really work hard to deliver it, but it needs to be additive.
“It really needs to work in terms of the calendar format and logistics for the players number one. Then secondly, it needs to make sure that it is done in a way which is respectful sustainably, so we are not interested in just doing a one off Club World Cup.
“We want to do something which is meaningful and has a pattern of regularity. We are looking at doing something, if we can, potentially in 2028 and potentially in 2032.
“We are working towards that and we are having great dialogue with our colleagues in the southern hemisphere, so I suspect the next few months will be really instructive on that.
“But it was really positive to hear the desire from our clubs to challenge us at EPCR to work hard on that project, as we are currently doing.
“There is a genuine warmth from South Africa, from Australia and from New Zealand to delivering that (a Club World Cup), a real appetite to make it happen and that is great.
“We just need to be quite creative, that we do things in a sensible and sustainable way.”
McKay hosted the EPCR’s inaugural Club Conference, which he hopes can continue to establish closer relationships between all involved.
“My opening remarks to the conference was to encourage a strategic perspective from each of the chairman and chief executives that were there to see how they can work to advance the game. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the quality and the depth of discussion,” McKay said.
“There was a real desire from all those who participated, whether that was the club game or the international game, to do this again.”
Comments on RugbyPass
What a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
2 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
2 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
228 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
228 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
228 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to comments