European Champions Cup qualification

Interesting report on Twitter regarding Champions Cup qualification from the Pro 12. Will be the Top 7 going forward, regardless of country.

https://twitter.com/MissLJJ/status/865130804938252288

To look at the potential effect, if this was in place this next year coming, the only change would be that Cardiff qualify over Treviso. This can only help the quality of the tournament, especially with the Italian team often distorting the home quarter-final and "best runner-up" rankings.

I'd still like to see them open up the tournament even more by expanding the Champions Cup play-offs at the end of the season (e.g. top 4 for each league qualify automatically = 12, 8 places to go so 16 teams in home-and-away play-offs. Pick next 4 from each league with 4 "wildcards", so if no representation from a Pro-12 nation, they'd get a wildcard, or other teams from minor European nations).

However, I think this is definitely a positive step.

The other change is there will be no play-offs. It will now be:
7 Pro 12 regardless of country
6 AP
6 Top 14
Challenge Cup Winner

This is apparently what AP and Top14 proposed originally but Pro12 insisted on a qualifier from each country and play-offs. I do not know what changed their minds. One factor might have been the tendency of French teams not to bother with Challenge Cup as there is no real prize at the moment.

Exiledinborders wrote:The other change is there will be no play-offs. It will now be:
7 Pro 12 regardless of country
6 AP
6 Top 14
Challenge Cup Winner

This is apparently what AP and Top14 proposed originally but Pro12 insisted on a qualifier from each country and play-offs. I do not know what changed their minds. One factor might have been the tendency of French teams not to bother with Challenge Cup as there is no real prize at the moment.

Didn't realise the play-offs were going as well, thanks for the info.

Exiledinborders wrote:The other change is there will be no play-offs. It will now be:
7 Pro 12 regardless of country
6 AP
6 Top 14
Challenge Cup Winner

This is apparently what AP and Top14 proposed originally but Pro12 insisted on a qualifier from each country and play-offs. I do not know what changed their minds. One factor might have been the tendency of French teams not to bother with Challenge Cup as there is no real prize at the moment.

What has changed there minds is simple - the Celtic countries know that defending the appearance of an Italian side in the competition just isn't justified.

Finally.

Will make both comps more competitive.

I'm all for this in the Pro12. Good news!

Anyone know if it takes affect in 2018-19 or is it 2019-20 ?

Next season.

Brilliant news. Best thing for the Pro 12.

"We saw in rugby an opportunity to own a sport exclusively, certainly at club level, and the rights that we’ve bought give us an opportunity to do that.
We have the English Premiership; we think there’s lots of great potential there. And we are looking to set up, or at least help set up, a dazzling new European tournament, with a fantastic new format, with, we hope, all the best clubs."

"European rugby already has a dazzling tournament with a fantastic format - it's called the Heineken Cup and we are proud sponsors of that for over 17 years already."

‘Regional Rugby Wales on behalf of the four Welsh Regions confirms its full support for the proposed Rugby Champions Cup competitions. While there remain elements of detail to be confirmed, it is now clear that there are a number of significant advantages to the new competitions in equality of governance, format, qualification and distribution across the individual participating clubs.’

“The fact is that we only had six months to get the competition into place,” Craig says. “I am sure that we will have our five sponsors in place by the second year of the competition. There will be one or two in the next month or two. We are not going to lower the price or get anyone in for the sake of it.”

"We already have indications in the marketplace that are very encouraging. It is a competition format that will be strong, fair to everyone and more financially lucrative to everyone."

"Premiership Rugby believes Europe is a way of moving all their clubs into profit and while it is armed with the BT deal, which, from next season, will include a substantial element for cross-border rugby, it will need to deliver more than an Anglo-French tournament to achieve maximum value. Just as the Celts and Italy need the English and French clubs to oil their professional games, so it works in reverse. BT values European rugby more than the Premiership."

“The competition will be based on the principles of qualification on merit, a strong competition format, equality between the leagues, higher commercial values for the teams and expansion into new European markets.”


I'm curious. Does anyone know if revenues have increased substantially for any clubs generally as a result of the new format? I've read nothing since the original dispute got resolved in 13/14 to indicate that monies are pouring in the door from this "dazzling new competition". They got Heineken on a reduced deal and Turkish Airlines as sponsors. Anything else besides the TV deal with BT/Sky?

From what I have been told in Ulster revenues have not increased

Nail in the coffin for Italian rugby?

I honestly don't understand what people see when they expect them to be competitive under COS.