Planet Rugby reader’s radical URC-Premiership merger solution and plan for a global season
Planet Rugby reader Jay du Plessis gets his views aired.
Talks of mergers between the Premiership and parts of the United Rugby Championship (URC) have lingered over the last month in the rugby world so we put it to our readers to get their thoughts.
One very interesting suggestion emerged from Planet Rugby reader Jay du Plessis who offered his solution not only to a possible merger but also to align the global schedule.
It is worth noting that with matters like this, there are plenty of moving parts each with their own complications but it is certainly worth hearing out.
Champions Cup out, Club Rugby World Cup in
That is the core of the suggestion, to have the Champions Cup replaced by an annual Club Rugby World Cup which will take the form of a ‘post-season’ or ‘finals’ format with 16 teams taking part in a knockout format with the following conditions.
– The tournament will take place AFTER the completion of the qualified leagues (Premiership, URC, Top 14 and Super Rugby Pacific).
– Qualification for the competition will be based on the final standings of the recently completed season instead of the previous season to reward form more fairly with the top four of each earning their spot.
– The competition will be hosted in one location which will change annually allowing for that World Cup feel and the ability to host a “Super Bowl of Rugby” which could be lucrative for the game.
What needs to happen to achieve this?
Now we know you are already picking out all of the possible problems so let’s take a closer look at what needs to happen to achieve this.
1) The global season must be aligned
The first step is to find a slot where both the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship are played at the same time. As a result, the leagues will be played at the same time as well, resulting in a universal rest period for the players after the Club World Cup.
2) Leagues must be the same length
This is where the merger conversation comes into play as ideally, all four participating leagues should have an equal number of teams (14). The URC currently has 16 teams and the Premiership 10 so the formation of an Anglo-Welsh league will be 14 teams but leave the URC with 12, opening the door for developing nations to enter sides such as the Black Lion from Georgia for example to lift that number to 14 as well. Super Rugby Pacific is down to 11 and could offer spots to former participants the Cheetahs and Jaguares as a start while looking into the revival of rugby in Melbourne.
Benefits of the proposal
Du Plessis touched on the primary benefit in his own words, “The global rugby calendar will be aligned, with a global ‘off-season’, ‘club season’ and ‘international season/windows’, following a logical progression with increasing intensity and excitement, and then a much-deserved break for both players and fans.”
Another massive benefit is the possible financial gain of hosting a ‘mini-World Cup’ on an annual basis in a similar way the Super Bowl is marketed in the NFL.
Du Plessis touches on the final bonus that we will discuss, “It will still contain the classic match-ups between Europe’s legendary clubs, but now it will also include classic Super Rugby rivalries (e.g. Bulls v Crusaders), and classic local rivalries (e.g. Leinster v Munster, Crusaders v Blues, etc.), but also create new must-watch matches.”
Have your say?
What do you make of the radical proposal?
At Planet Rugby we are always eager to hear your opinions and views on the game: drop a comment below or send us an email at planetrugbyeditor@planetsport.com.