Anyone for a World Club Championship

[SaintK]

Not for me thanks if it messes with the ERC.

The blueprint for a new ‘Club World Cup’ is understood to have been agreed with a tournament involving the top 16 sides from the northern and southern hemispheres scheduled to start in 2025, Telegraph Sport can reveal.

Under the bold proposals eight northern hemisphere clubs and seven from the southern hemisphere, plus a Japanese side, would be placed in four pools, each playing two matches against teams from the other hemisphere. The winner of each pool would progress to the semi-finals ahead of a final to crown the best club side in the world.

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2 ... 2025%2F

[inactionman]

The away games are going to be a bit pricey.

[Slick]

Having an off-season is just a massive waste of money anyway

[Guy Smiley]

What a bloatingly bad idea.

Fans have suggested a match between the best club sides from north and south would be a good thing, so this is thrown at us like Boris Johnson descending on a buffet.

[JM2K6]

I'm fine with this as long as no English clubs are involved. Knock yourselves out.

[Torquemada 1420]

I'm fine with this as long as no English clubs are involved. Knock yourselves out.

I was just about to post the same but substituting "French" for "English".

After all, the whole Soup thing worked out well with the travel, eh?

[SaintK]

Nuff said!!!

It is understood that Mark McCafferty, the former Premiership Rugby chief executive, has been a central figure in driving the project forward in his role as a non-executive director on the board of EPCR, the governing body of the Champions’ Cup. McCafferty was one of the first to back the idea of a world club championship during his 14-year tenure at the helm of the Premiership.

[Biffer]

These fuckers don’t understand what makes sport special do they?

This is a fucking moronic idea.

[Slick]

These fuckers don’t understand what makes sport special do they?

This is a fucking moronic idea.

They just seem to be throwing something new out every 6 months to see what might stick and then seem offended when they’re told to get fucked

[Biffer]

These fuckers don’t understand what makes sport special do they?

This is a fucking moronic idea.

They just seem to be throwing something new out every 6 months to see what might stick and then seem offended when they’re told to get fucked

Either that or it’s the fill the zone with shit thing. Idea after idea that’s garbage until at some point we get so worn down by it that eventually you just go oh for fucks sake just do it then.

[fishfoodie]

They probably want to play the final in Dubai, at 2PM in mid-July

[PCPhil]

They probably want to play the final in Dubai, at 2PM in mid-July

“Makes perfect sense gentlemen as it will generate the maximum TV audience and the hosts are putting in a shedload of money plus we sell the rights to…….Fvck, no one told us it gets that hot!”

[Enzedder]

Seems a dumb idea - but if the Chiefs made the final (at home) I would definitely try to get a ticket

[PCPhil]

Seems a dumb idea - but if the Chiefs made the final (at home) I would definitely try to get a ticket

Totally ridiculous idea dreamt up by morons after way too many beers.

Like the Chiefs would make a final at home!

[Ymx]

I’d like to see the Saders play the best of the NH.

I’d not like a whole comp. Perhaps semi finals onward between Supe finalists and ERC finalists.

Leinster v Saders
La Rochelle v Blues

Then a final

Wouldn’t be terrible to watch. Up in the NH probably.

Perhaps not Qatar.

[Kiwias]

More of the same idiotic pie-in-the-sky bullshit. I hope it is stillborn.

[robmatic]

Not for me thanks if it messes with the ERC.

The blueprint for a new ‘Club World Cup’ is understood to have been agreed with a tournament involving the top 16 sides from the northern and southern hemispheres scheduled to start in 2025, Telegraph Sport can reveal.

Under the bold proposals eight northern hemisphere clubs and seven from the southern hemisphere, plus a Japanese side, would be placed in four pools, each playing two matches against teams from the other hemisphere. The winner of each pool would progress to the semi-finals ahead of a final to crown the best club side in the world.

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2 ... 2025%2F

Nope. I'm already losing interest in the ERC and this will make things even worse.

[Tichtheid]

Without the use of search engines, who can name the football equivalent of this proposal?

I knew the old name but had to search for the new one, it was re-branded in 2000. (It's no longer the the Intercontinental Cup is what I'm trying to say)

My point is that the Copa Wotsiname and the Champions League are real prizes to be won, no one gives a monkey's about the "best club in the world" gong, it doesn't get much in the way of column inches.

The rugby one is a novelty act.

[Thor Sedan]

Rugby finding new ways to drive fans away.

This is a terrible idea which will have the support of no one outside of the accountants of the clubs.

Awful.

[sturginho]

Without the use of search engines, who can name the football equivalent of this proposal?

I knew the old name but had to search for the new one, it was re-branded in 2000. (It's no longer the the Intercontinental Cup is what I'm trying to say)

My point is that the Copa Wotsiname and the Champions League are real prizes to be won, no one gives a monkey's about the "best club in the world" gong, it doesn't get much in the way of column inches.

The rugby one is a novelty act.

I remember the FIFA Club world cup happening in 2000, Man Utd had to pull out of the FA cup in order to participate, which was hugely controversial as they were the holders. They got shat upon by Vasco da Gama, Edmundo scored an absolute worldie

[sockwithaticket]

Stupid idea. Hope it dies in the planning stages. If it doesn't then I hope English clubs steer well clear of it.

[Biffer]

The away games are going to be a bit pricey.

This is what these twats don't understand. Mixed crowds are one of the big things that make rugby special and generate atmosphere and rivalry. No one will want to watch Saracens play the Hurricanes at 6 am in a half empty stadium on a subscription channel.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

Trying to squeeze more revenue out of existing resources in lieu of growing the game.

Not for me, I don't mind if rugby accepts it's a minority sport and stays as is, or grows the game via wider participation (it's the latter I'd go for and end the tier 1 closed shop but whatever). Just trying to take the existing club/countries and market everything as the biggest clash ever (as well as the biggest clash until the next clash) is tiresome, and likely as we've seen in cricket a losing proposition anyway

[JM2K6]

The away games are going to be a bit pricey.

This is what these twats don't understand. Mixed crowds are one of the big things that make rugby special and generate atmosphere and rivalry. No one will want to watch Saracens play the Hurricanes at 6 am in a half empty stadium on a subscription channel.

To be fair that's a very NH-specific view. It's not like Soup teams get a lot of away fans (even domestic games)

[Biffer]

The away games are going to be a bit pricey.

This is what these twats don't understand. Mixed crowds are one of the big things that make rugby special and generate atmosphere and rivalry. No one will want to watch Saracens play the Hurricanes at 6 am in a half empty stadium on a subscription channel.

To be fair that's a very NH-specific view. It's not like Soup teams get a lot of away fans (even domestic games)

Yeah, and that's fair. But in New Zealand there are still ravalries based on locality and on being better than your 'neighbours'. That's also true in Oz where the distances are even greater, there's still inter state / territory rivalries, just look at State of Origin. You will never, ever get that for Sale vs Waratahs.

[Uncle fester]

"Agreed"?

By who?

The format is understood to have been endorsed by key stakeholders, including Premiership Rugby and representatives for players.

It's a fücking solo run with no support from the unions.