1
'Global club competition' a possibility says EPCR chairman
By Ian Cameron
EPCR Chairman Simon Halliday has confirmed that the three main northern hemisphere leagues have agreed a further eight years of European rugby competition, although the inclusion of South African clubs in any future tournaments is still up in the air.
Halliday also said that the possibility of a global club competition is something that could be on the table.
The Bulls, Stormers, Sharks and Lions are set to join an expanded PRO16 tournament, a move which potentially creates an opportunity for the EPCR to bring those franchises into a wider, two continent inter-club competition.
The sides were scheduled to face PRO14 opposition over the course of April and May in the new-fangled Rainbow Cup, but the lack of a European base to play out of due to the concerns around Covid-19 have meant that any inter-continental games have been ruled out.
Speaking to BT Sports, Halliday admitted that the organisation was yet to come to an agreement around the inclusion of the South African franchises in the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup.
"All of our stakeholders are changing and improving, so the opportunity that could be presented to us through the South African franchises coming in to make it a PRO16, that's not agreed yet, but the debate is very advanced.
"The opportunity to look at global club competition at some point in the future, all of these things are open for us to look at and develop and make a reality.
"Fans are going to be more excited about that opportunity in years to come."
Over 38 million fans watched the 2019/20 season in the UK, Ireland and France alone, up 53 per cent on the previous season.
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Stuart Lancaster 'wants out' of Racing 92 and eyeing Euro giants job
3
Henry Arundell lined up for early England homecoming
4
Government provides bleak assessment on the state of the Premiership
5
Latest Comments
It is if he thinks he’s got hold of the ball and there is at least one other player between him and the ball carrier, which is why he has to reach around and over their heads. Not a deliberate action for me.
Go to commentsI understand, but England 30 years ago were a set piece focused kick heavy team not big on using backs.
Same as now.
South African sides from any period will have a big bunch of forwards smashing it up and a first five booting everything in their own half.
NZ until recently rarely if ever scrummed for penalties; the scrum is to attack from, broken play, not structured is what we’re after.
Same as now.
These are ways of playing very ingrained into the culture.
If you were in an English club team and were off to Fiji for a game against a club team you’d never heard of and had no footage of, how would you prepare?
For a forward dominated grind or would you assume they will throw the ball about because they are Fijian?
A Fiji way. An English way.
An Australian way depends on who you’ve scraped together that hasn’t been picked off by AFL or NRL, and that changes from generation to generation a lot of the time.
Actually, maybe that is their style. In fact, yes they have a style.
Nevermind. Fuggit I’ve typed it all out now.
Go to comments