Report: Super Rugby's best set to take on elite European clubs in proposed club world championship
Top clubs and franchises from the northern and southern hemispheres could be in line to square off against one another in a world club championship as soon as 2022, according to a news report out of England.
According to the The Telegraph, there is “growing optimism” among key stakeholders for the creation of the competition, with hopes for kick-off at the end of the 2021-22 season.
The tournament would reportedly be held once every four years, and would feature a total 16 teams from both sides of the world to face off in a straight knockout format.
While ensuring the Champions Cup remains the premier club competition in the northern hemisphere, it is thought the club world championship would replace the knockout stages of the European competition.
Instead, the four highest-ranked teams from the pool stages of the Champions Cup would be joined by the previous season’s winners of that tournament, the Premiership, the Top 14 and the PRO14 as the northern hemisphere’s representatives.
It remains unclear how the eight teams from the southern hemisphere would be determined, especially given the fluid situation in South Africa, with the nation’s four Super Rugby franchises dumped from the competition by New Zealand and Australia.
The Trans-Tasman nations are expected to join forces and team up with two Pacific Island sides to create a new version of the Super 12 in 2022, and it may be that the top eight sides from that competition qualify for the proposed club world championship.
South Africa’s teams, meanwhile, are widely thought to be integrated into the PRO14, which already has two South African franchises in the form of the Cheetahs and Southern Kings.
The Lions, Sharks, Bulls and Stormers are also expected to be eligible for Champions Cup qualification from 2022, with The Telegraph reporting that details will be discussed with key stakeholders over a series of Zoom calls.
It is unclear whether teams from the Top League in Japan, Major League Rugby in North America or Super Liga Americana de Rugby in South America will be involved in a club world championship.
TRANSFER RUMOURS: Reports are circulating in SA over the future plans of one of the biggest names in world rugby – Siya Kolisi. https://t.co/6cqhl832NB
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 10, 2020
Regardless, The Telegraph said there was an “expectation that an agreement can be reached within weeks”.
“It is really exciting. Everyone is talking – World Rugby, the southern hemisphere and ourselves,” said Simon Halliday, the chairman of European Professional Club Rugby, the organisers of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup.
“We would like, if all the negotiations are fruitful, that the latter stages of the 2021/22 season would see the inaugural World Club Champions Cup take place. This can work without there needing to be any serious upheaval in the current calendar.
“It is under discussion and everyone seems keen but there are many key decisions yet to make. We can see how it can work for the northern hemisphere clubs but it needs to work for the southern hemisphere as well.
“We are going to be making presentations in the coming weeks to go into the details of how exactly it would work as there are a lot of moving parts. We need to make it work in the next month or so. The leagues and the union of the northern hemisphere will come together to sign off a new EPCR agreement that will take us through to the latter part of the next decade.
Comments on RugbyPass
wel the crusaders were beaten by a queensland reds side that hadnt beaten them at home since 1999 and queensland reds partied like it was 1999
4 Go to commentsHard to disagree with the 5 points - with the exception that Wilson should be a squad member but, depending on the other loose forward selections, is not yet a shoo-in. McReight is. Aussie is looking a lot better this year and JS has some selection options. Also, Havili’s tendency to get caught, charged down is also a liability at times but he seemed focused (mostly) and is definitely a consideration for utility back-up. Still feel Reihana is a better prospect at 1st five for Saders.
4 Go to commentsYeah nah, still not sure on Havili tbh. Even though I’m a Crusaders fan through and through I’d be stunned if Razor considers him after seeing some of the stunning talent coming through up North.
4 Go to commentsThink it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
5 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
5 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
5 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
5 Go to commentsWhat 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.
5 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!
5 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?
238 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.
4 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.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
20 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