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Will a European League ultimately be the cure to best finance clubs who are living hand to mouth?
With the Heineken Champions Cup centerstage for four of these five winter weekends heading into the Christmas period, fans are getting a run of eye-catching inter-league fixtures they are not normally used to seeing so close together.
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The European format in non-World Cup seasons has always been two rounds in October followed by two more in early December and another pair mid-January, weekends interrupted by the November Test series and a plethora of Gallagher Premiership, Top 14 and Guinness PRO14 fixtures.
This winter, though, the Champions Cup is taking on a momentum of its own and it is having a positive upswing. Take Racing, the chic Parisians.
Rather than just be embroiled in a domestic struggle near the bottom of their league that is really of interest to only rugby fans In France, they have just hosted and trounced European champions Saracens in front of a 20,275 attendance, a figure that dwarfed their league-best for this season of 12,566.
Next, they are set to play Munster at a bear-pit Thomond Park next Saturday in front of 26,000, a number that will eclipse the Irish province’s league-best of 14,436, before taking on Ospreys twice in early December.
(Continue reading below…)
That’s a cosmopolitan English, Ireland and Welsh dance card in contrast to a local schedule where they are next up against Bordeaux on November 30.
With Racing’s crowds massively increased in games against two of their three European opponents (regional rugby sadly simply doesn’t cut it with most Wales fans, no matter what way it is dressed up), it begs the question could a European League with more of a contrast in playing styles ultimately become the solution to best finance the club game on a weekly basis in the Six Nations territories?
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EPCR authorities know damn well they are not getting sufficient bang for their buck at the moment, despite their promises when it replaced the old ERC organisation some years ago.
Effectively, despite years of change under EPCR, European rugby is back where it was under ERC as clubs are again playing for the Heineken Cup https://t.co/Q1TVczJL21
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 15, 2019
Before an opening round weekend where Top 14 clipped the Premiership by four European wins to three in its seven cross-league Champions Cup/Challenge Cup fixtures, PRO14 beat the Premiership three wins to one and PRO14 topped the Top 14 two wins to one, chairman Simon Halliday admitted to RugbyPass: “Commercially, it has been a disappointment.
“Lots of reasons for that. The rebranding takes time,” he said about an administration given birth in 2014 after England and French clubs broke away from the old ERC-run tournaments.
“Secondly, a lot of sponsors have gone from being global into being pan-Europe, even local, so the way they allocate their money has changed, the way people look at traditional sponsorship has changed. Look what happened with Six Nations, for example.”
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Two All Blacks are better than one… Isaia Toeava and George Moala were unstoppable against Harlequins. ?#clermont #top14 #championscup #europeanrugby #harlequins #englandrugby #premrugby
That was quite a jolt for rugby administrators everywhere battling to balance the books. The tournament that casts itself as ‘Rugby’s Greatest Championship’ was left scratching around for a sponsor and eventually bedding in with HSBC for just a single year after it failed to achieve in the market what it felt it was worth.
They eventually needed Guinness to cure that particular hangover. “The world of rugby is changing but that is not just us [Europe], it’s World Rugby, it’s Japan, it’s the financing of the game generally. It is something that is a real topic and we are just part of that discussion,” added Halliday, signing off.
In the current climate, too many clubs are existing hand to mouth and their bottom lines are stuck in the red. However, with private equity firm CVC set to buy into the Six Nations and PRO14 after already investing in the Premiership, rugby is certainly entering a fluid era commercially and it is interesting how one English club owner already believes a European League will ultimately be created to try and cure all financial ills.
'I wouldn’t be surprised to see a European Champions League.' Tony Rowe, Exeter Chiefs.
Read Tony's exclusive column here???? https://t.co/aAzIkmixsk#rugby #exeterchiefs
? Nick Dawe pic.twitter.com/bGMYItvklh
— Rugby (@JournalRugby) November 17, 2019
Its mechanics, of course, would be up for debate. For instance, how can two salary-capped leagues go to work with one that isn’t, and what would become of all the existing broadcast and sponsorship deals? However, in terms of coming up with a workable format, if you excluded the PRO14’s two South African franchises and dropped two of the weakest French clubs, you would then only be amalgamating three leagues of 12 clubs each.
This total of 36 would be easy to divide back into three mixed league divisions of 12, offering each participant a home-and-away schedule of 22 matches before the playoffs. It’s certainly not a short-term runner but with professional club rugby continuing to struggle to financially wash its face, it’s an idea potentially ripe for long-term exploration.
Here’s what Exeter’s Tony Rowe recently claimed in his Rugby Journal column. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see a European Champions League,” he wrote. “The game will evolve to that because, interestingly, whereas we always get big numbers for the Premiership games, with the European Champions Cup, we have to work really hard to sell the tickets so a European Champions League might have more appeal to it.
Professional rugby still isn't organised as best it can be and EPCR boss Simon Halliday fears self-interest will keep holding it back https://t.co/Ki4Gb0BHcR
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 7, 2019
“I just think the commercials around a European Champions League are far greater than a domestic league. The European Champions Cup hasn’t really grasped the commercial support from Europe and as the sport is growing, the French are trying to make inroads into more commercial aspects, as are we. I just think that will drive us to a game with more appeal to more supporters.”
That’s something to chew on ahead of the round two weekend where so many match-ups are must-see fixtures compared to your regular domestic league weekends.
POTENTIAL EUROPEAN LEAGUE (based on last season’s finishing positions)
DIVISION ONE
Premiership – Exeter, Saracens, Gloucester, Northampton
Top 14 – Toulouse, Lyon, Clermont, Racing
PRO14 – Glasgow, Munster, Leinster, Ulster
DIVISION TWO
Premiership – Harlequins, Bath, Sale, Wasps
Top 14 – La Rochelle, Montpellier, Castres, Stade
PRO14 – Connacht, Ospreys, Benetton, Cardiff
DIVISION THREE
Premiership – Bristol, Worcester, Leicester, London Irish (replacing relegated Newcastle)
Top 14 – Toulon, Bordeaux, Pau, Agen
PRO14 – Scarlets, Edinburgh, Dragons, Zebre
*excludes relegated French duo Grenoble and Perpignan, and African PRO14 clubs Cheetahs and Kings
WATCH: The Rugby Pod gives its reaction to Saracens not appealing their 35-point Premiership deduction for breaching the salary cap
Comments on RugbyPass
You ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
32 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
3 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
5 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
32 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
5 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
5 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
3 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
3 Go to commentsYes, they are traveling well but it’s early days. The Chiefs were in front with 20 to go while they snatched a last minute win v the Reds. Keep calm.
1 Go to commentsThe failure of the Irish system / rugby playing style to produce their own backs has them looking elsewhere for innovation and flair - not that Jordie has much flair. He’s a converted fullback. The Canes have plenty of other younger options.
9 Go to comments1.Watch Wallace Sititi be the wild card AB. A genuine full time no 8 2. Luke J like Sotutu has not delivered. 3. Chiefs have all the right cattle but badly miss the leadership of Webber. LJ is about as unconvincing as Sam Cane when under the pump. They had the winning of that game in the second half then fell apart.
5 Go to commentsYes the Rebels are showing signs of life because they are literally playing for their live -lihoods and thanks to their Australian attack coach. However they are still playing an essentially dull boring south african style for the rest of the time. And Geoff Parling must be the most useless lineout coach ever. Worse than Steve Hansen even. Interestingly we are starting to see more cheap shots and attempts to get away with cheating by Australian players, now they are being influenced by Joe Schmidt. It was exactly the same when Rennie started out as Wallaby coach and thru his tenure. Trying to teach Australians to play like kiwis doesn’t work, as the last 20 years has conclusively demonstrated. Especially when we are not as good at it as kiwis. Which of course is the whole idea …..
32 Go to commentsGreat signing, not sure where he’ll fit in though. As for him ‘playing alongside RG Snyman, that’s highly debatable given the likelyhood that the latter will spend most of the season on sick leave.
9 Go to commentsWowee!
9 Go to commentsEvery team that has played a game in Africa this Champions Cup season is already out of the competition - including the SA teams. Could be a concidence.
30 Go to commentsthat should offer some experiences for Jordie.
9 Go to commentsJust remember: He is not a winger. Took Ian Foster 2 years to figure that out.
9 Go to commentsExcellent article, Nick. We (your RP colleague Brett McKay and my 8/9 Combo cohost), are going to have LSL on our podcast later this month. He has shown consistent excellence as a leader and lock. I’ll chat with you offline about a line of questioning if you have time. H
32 Go to commentsSo no Irish fan or journalist suggested JGP was as good as DuPont. Then even the guy who supposedly did is from Wales and said JGP would be the best around if it was t for DuPont. Right, so what is this story about again
19 Go to comments