The heavily criticised Investec Champions Cup format will not change until 2030, with executives convinced that it delivers jeopardy, drama and improved viewing figures.
However, The Times understands European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), which organises the Champions Cup and the second-tier Challenge Cup, wants future editions to start in October, not December.
The Champions Cup format, in which 24 teams are split into four pools of six, and only eight sides then drop out after four rounds of group matches, is a bone of contention for many rugby supporters.
Marcus Smith helped Harlequins to a huge win over La Rochelle on Sunday, a result that ensured Leicester made it to the knockouts having won only match pool match
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Players and executives at club level have privately and publicly shown their frustrations with it too, as many teams send weakened sides to away matches knowing they can qualify for the round of 16 with just two, or sometimes one, victory. For example, Sale Sharks and Edinburgh rested players for last weekend’s matches away against Toulouse and Bath respectively, and lost 77-7 and 63-10.
The Pretoria-based Bulls and Leicester Tigers have both made the knockout rounds despite winning just one match. Yet EPCR has no desire to greatly alter its competition, having cycled through different formats over the past five years. Their message to detractors is: “The format is delivering.”
This view is bolstered by what EPCR believes was a stellar pool stage, in which Glasgow Warriors beat Toulouse and Saracens to become second seeds behind holders Bordeaux Bègles and Harlequins won in La Rochelle to knock out the two-times champions. It cites higher “fan engagement”, particularly through YouTube, improving viewer figures on TV broadcasters Premier Sports and bigger attendances in grounds as reasons for confidence that their product works.
“It was the most competitive pool stage in recent years from a sporting side, and a high-stakes weekend we just had,” Jacques Raynaud, the EPCR chief executive, said.
Maro Itoje’s Saracens produced one of the shocks of the tournament when beating Toulouse, with their much-anticipated game against Glasgow bringing the viewers in at the weekend
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“Whatever the team lineups, the injury rate, the overriding impression is that we have Test-match rugby in club colours, and unpredictable, superb rugby on the pitch.
“I know there are opinions that it could be more elite, but the truth is it’s still delivering fantastic rugby, on superb stages. Maybe not the entire 20 matches per weekend, but we can measure it with fan engagement. I’m not just sugar-coating it. The data points are out there.”
EPCR says there has been a “double-digit” percentage increase in viewers of its long-form highlights reels on YouTube, has doubled its “worldwide audience” from 50 million to about 100 million since 2019, and predict this year’s edition will be the most-watched ever in stadiums.
Clearly, adding the South African franchise teams has improved EPCR’s numbers, as the competition now involves a rugby-obsessed country with a population of 63 million.
The inclusion of Stormers and the other South African sides has boosted the EPCR’s figures
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EPCR will not change its format for another four years, nor does it want to reduce the number of English teams involved — at present, eight of ten qualify each year — as it wants the competition to settle into a rhythm after years of flux.
“This format and time date is currently fixed until 2030,” Raynaud confirmed. “Remember our job is not only to provide cheese and dessert. We have to lay on a great compelling tournament from a sporting, fan side and to have the financial formula that is liked by TV, sponsors and host cities so we can maximize what we’re generating for the club game.
“We have a compelling tournament with a stable format that is delivering what we wanted. Can it be improved? I think it can; one of the things we’re looking at is to start earlier, and we’re looking at maybe separating the round of 16 and quarter-finals.”
EPCR’s data suggests that squad rotation does not pay. Recent winners usually use about 32 players and secure high seedings from the pool. The more players a team uses — one club used 55 last season — the less likely they are to go deep in the tournament.
In order to help tighten squads, EPCR has reintroduced a limit of 42 players per club per season, which was in place before Covid, with five changes permitted for injuries. They hope that helps stop clubs sacrificing away matches.
EPCR now needs to lobby clubs and leagues to secure an October start. They may have to play just one round of pool matches before the November Test window, as a compromise.
That could lead to less resting and rotation, as coaches often change their team after the international blocks to hit player welfare targets and choose to prioritise league fixtures, but it could make the calendar more disparate.
South African teams would like to play two home matches in the pool stages back-to-back, to ease their travel issues, but EPCR said that would create a “distortion”. It is, however, working with the United Rugby Championship to align the calendar for South African teams so they travel less in December.