Not concerned: Paul Goze
Top 14 boss Paul Goze said he has no concerns about the future of European club competitions, despite talks on a new format having stalled.
"In the negotiations for the European Cups, there are always difficult moments and barriers," the National Rugby League (LNR) president said in an interview.
"However everybody in European rugby, the Scottish, Irish, Welsh, English, Italians and us (French) need the European Cups.
"We cannot forsee that these barriers will continue.
"The negotiations will be difficult as always but I am not worried about the long-term outcome.
"All parties will be able to agree before the deadline to ensure that after 2014 the competition will continue to be one of rugby's forces.
"We have taken ideas forward and the positions are on the table. In all negotiations there can be small alterations that can unblock the situation."
French and English teams are pushing for a system that includes between 20 to 24 clubs with a qualifying system that relates to the respective league standings (top six qualify).
But teams from the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales could be hit most if the new deal goes ahead while the French also want to adjust the European calendar and finish the campaign by the end of April in order for their teams to be able to concentrate on the final phase of their premier domestic competition the Top 14.
The next round of meetings are set for February 6, 2013.
Comments
rugby_rockstar says...
Here's an easy alteration for everyone Paul. Keep the current format. This year's eurocup has been brilliant. Stop trying to wreck it.
Posted 13:56 07th January 2013
APV1 says...
@ J_HDK - nope - more like Strictly, with lots of pretty fillies in tight leotards!
;-)
Posted 13:59 21st December 2012
J_HDK says...
@waz4before
So the HCup should be structured more like the X Factor? ;P (just trolling)
Posted 12:49 21st December 2012
APV1 says...
@ HenryFitz - I love the idea of a Scooby-Doo ending to all of this - excellent! Not sure we agree on the rest of it, but on that we certainly do!
@ J_HDK - nice to agree on something, though! I think that we do fundementally disagree on the make-up of the competition, and that's fine. I completely understand why you think that all countries should be represented in the HC, but why not Spain, Russia, Portugal, Romania, etc?
So I think it should be the top clubs of Europe, regardless of their nationality. At the moment (and for a few years), my team - Bath - haven't been good enough. So they play in the Amlin (and are doing ok this season). Should we get in the top 6 of AP or win the Amlin, we get HC next season. And we'd deserve it too, having earned it.
We'll wait and see.
Posted 10:26 21st December 2012
Waz4before says...
@ HenryFitz - a nice piece of statistical work here but flawed in too many ways to point out here. Basically your statistical analysis seems to exist to support your point of view, you'd make a good politician.
Your last statement pretty much sums it up - you fail to understand that the commercial success of the HC is dependent upon English and French tv revenues; french/english people are buying to see their respective countries teams compete and not view some pan-European socialism experiment in distribution of wealth.
Posted 06:46 21st December 2012
J_HDK says...
APV (re our discussion on other page) I think you are right regarding this being an agree to disagree thing.
But I will say, as as been hinted at in this article, the ERC Cup has six member countries, and it is hard for me to imagine that the Italians and Scottish Unions will vote in favour of a scenario that could easily see none of their clubs in the top european competition.
With regards to the calendar. That is a huge can of worms. Needs to be integrated North and South. And I am sure I will be eaten by the traditionalists for this, but I would be in favour of dumping the November Internationals altogether. Perhaps splitting the 6N in two. Three matches in March and two in May after all Club competition is ended,... just a thought. Would be interested in other ideas.
Posted 23:56 20th December 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
It is a kick in the balls to the English but our fat wallets in our deep pockets protected out massive tackle from injury.
Posted 17:12 20th December 2012
HenryFitz says...
Sometimes I think this is all just a satirical sketch, and Nigel Wray will pull off his latex mask to reveal the face of Chris Morris.
There is no justification for reducing the representation of the Celtic and Italian unions, either individually or en bloc. The Rabo teams have 41.66% of the representation at present. In the last 4 seasons, their representation in the knockout stages has been as follows:
QF 14 out of 32 places = 43.75%
SF 9 out of 16 places = 56.25%
F 4 out of 8 places = 50%
In all instances, the Rabo has justified, and even exceeded, its expected representation.
The figures for the AP and the Top 14 are, at 25% representation:
QF AP 7 out of 32 places = 21.875%. Top 14 11 out of 32 places = 34.375%
SF AP 2 out of 16 places = 12.5%. Top 14 5 out of 16 places = 31.25%
F AP 2 out of 8 places = 25%. Top 14 2 out of 8 places = 25%
As you can see, the French league has exceeded expectations, and should possibly receive a greater representation at the expense of the underperforming English league. If the number of automatic qualifers is reduced to 18, then the French would merit 6 of those places or 33.33%. The Rabo teams would merit 8 places or 44.44%, while the English Premiership would merit 4 teams, or 22.22%. Doubtless, this would be a bit harsh on the English sides, who are hopefully going to improve, so maybe the current 24-team model would be fairer.
The television viewers argument is asinine, and amounts to letting the people on couches in England decide who gets into the competition, with no recognition of past results, growth-potential or even commercial reality, i.e. that the competition is valuable because it is European, not because it is English.
Posted 14:53 20th December 2012
TVaddict says...
@APV1
I think you bother because you believe that liam2me is a rugby fan, not a football fan, and could therefore be reasoned with by using logic. Sadly, this is not the case.
Posted 11:46 20th December 2012
bignoel says...
@liam2me
Goze can say what he wants, but the reality is that the French clubs have withdrawn from the HC in 2014/15 along with the English clubs. They will not be coming back to the HC unless the format is changed - either in the way teams qualify for it or the way it is structured or both. That is not really a "kick in the balls" to the English clubs as you so eloquently put it. Now if the French clubs decided to continue with the competition in the way it is currently structed, then you might have your kick - but that has not happened.
Posted 11:18 20th December 2012
APV1 says...
@ liam2me - there I was about to support you in your confusion over the RoI statement and then you went and did it, didn't you? An unnecessary and false claim that about "English moneygrabbers".
Nob off, you prat, it's about more than just money. We have plenty on the AP, so that's not the issue. If you bothered to peer through your shamrock-tinted specs, you would have noticed this bit:
"French and English teams are pushing for a ... system that relates to the respective league standings (top six qualify)."
Why do I bother engaging with these numpties, who obviously have chips on their shoulders?
(And no, that wasn't a dig at the Irish and potatoes. And no, I didn't use the word "dig" to reinforce that. They were just unfortunate coincidences.)
Posted 10:13 20th December 2012
melkdave says...
Personnally i would like to see the HC played as just one block during the season,its never made sense to me that league and international games split it up,and make it a season long competion.Start it after the aurtum internationals ,and play it to a finish before the 6Ns ,makes alot more sense to me.Then clubs know what theiir prioty is ,rather than having to choose as of now.Same goes for the Amlin play it same time as HC.
Posted 09:37 20th December 2012
liam2me says...
'Teams from The Republic of Ireland', WTF???? This isn't soccer. Rugby is Ireland, there is no north/south divide. Wake up Planetrugby.
As for The French saying they want to continue the European Cup, that's a big kick in the balls for the English moneygrabbers and the PR editorial line that the French are supporting the English moneygrabbing move to BT
Posted 09:32 20th December 2012