Premiership Rugby, in conjunction with its French equivalent Ligue Nationale de Rugby, has announced that the tournament will be called the Rugby Champions Cup.
“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,” read a statement released by Premiership Rugby.
The announcement underlines Anglo-French determination to press ahead with their own version of the Heineken Cup, which appears to be in its death throes given the determination to force change.
It also confirms their unwillingness to work under European Rugby Cup, the organisation that runs the Heineken and Amlin Challenge Cups and that appointed an independent mediator on Friday in an attempt to thrash out a new tournament agreement.
ERC has scheduled the next round of negotiations for October 23, which has further antagonised English and French clubs who had initially demanded urgency in finding a resolution before losing patience and declaring they would forge their own path.
Structural, qualification and financial changes are being sought by the Premiership and Top 14 teams, whose bargaining position is strengthened by a lucrative television rights deal with BT Sport, although the detail of that remains unclear.
“The Top 14 and Premiership Rugby clubs have already confirmed their participation in the new competition and a joint working group has been created to prepare all necessary elements in good time for the 2014-15 season,” Premiership Rugby’s statement continued.
“Further details concerning the competition format, marketing and financial aspects of the Rugby Champions Cup will be communicated in October.”
Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty confirmed that approaches have been received from RaboDirect PRO12 teams expressing interest in the Rugby Champions Cup – which he “expects” to be more than an Anglo-French competition.
“Before we can release more details we need to know over the next few weeks which other teams will be joining the competition,” McCafferty said.
“We expect those discussions to continue over the next few weeks. Once we know the final, or close to final, numbers then we settle on the competition formats.
“Various people have approached us about the possibility of joining and we’ve indicated to them that we’ll keep their names confidential.
“We’ve heard that other people want to be involved in European competitions, that’s why we’ve left the door open and expect it to be more than an Anglo-French competition.
“Once people saw on Sept 10 that we would seek an alternative, interest has been expressed in at least knowing exactly what will be involved – the format, commercial and financial details as well.”
McCafferty is confident of securing Rugby Football Union backing and hinted that Premiership Rugby would pursue the matter legally if its approval was not forthcoming.
“We’re asking for the RFU’s support against the background that there will be no ERC competition in which we’re taking part at the end of the season. We need to put in place new competitions,” McCafferty said.
“We ultimately expect to have RFU support and it’s in the interests of English rugby to have the teams playing in a good competition at the end of the season.
“If that scenario occurs where the RFU oppose what we’re doing, we’d have to look at the reasons for opposing it.
“You can’t just from a legal point of view say ‘we don’t want it so we’re not going to approve it’, especially when there’s a conflict of interests.
“We’ll try to overcome the issues and then take it from there. We’re asking for support. We’d expect that support.”
There has been no comment from South Africa, who have been making advances to join thr new competition.
This new competition would offer more money, the six provincial teams, better time zones and a competition where many have already joined.
If South Africa do join the new Rugby Championship Cup, will mean the end of the Super 15, leaving Australia and New Zealand to forge their own new competition.
This could also mean the end of SANSAAR and the southern hemisphere Rugby Championship.
The new competition has the potential to create a concentration of cash, sponsorship and interest, which will see the increase in the value of player contracts and the loss of control by the IRB.
The professional rugby world has not turned 20 yet and we are seeing it grow up very quickly with an explosion of world interest.
There are many challenges ahead for Australia as it will test the ARU’s capacity to make the upcoming changes so rugby does not become the equivalent of a provincial backwater, because all its best talent is cherry-picked into a new European competition.
Extracts of this article have been taken from the European Press.
Daniel Williams
Guest
How can it be greed when they just want to play and benefit financially on equal terms? The celtic teams have been making way too much more money from the Heineken cup. That's greed. England and France are the backbone of the economy in northern rugby.
Dublin Dave
Guest
Two lines from the original story stand out. Quote 1) "Mark McCafferty confirmed that approaches have been received from RaboDirect PRO12 teams expressing interest in the Rugby Champions Cup –" Wiow! That's huge! The Rabo teams, or at least some of them, want to ditch the ERC and jump into bed with whatever the English and French clubs are planning? This is surely a groundswell in favour of change. What did these "expressions of interest" entail? Quote 2 "Once people saw on Sept 10 that we would seek an alternative, interest has been expressed in at least knowing exactly what will be involved – the format, commercial and financial details as well.” OK. So does this mean that a few people from the Celtic/Italian League ringing you up and saying "What the f*** are you playing at!" counts as an "expression of interest"? I think we should be told.
AndyS
Guest
It always fascinates me that, rather than accept that SANZAR might actually give each party what it wants, SA and NZ supporters so eagerly buy into the idea that their top administrators are all drivelling incompetent morons and the organisation is some sort of ARU plaything. I mean, maybe you know best the sort of people you are happy to entrust the sport to, but if they're the ones that have risen to the top just how bad must the rest be - amazing the teams even make it to the match in the right strip! But a question : if you are right and these guys should not be allowed out on their own, be excused boots and have their mittens pinned to their tops, why do you think they are right when they suggest Europe might be the way to go?
Bruticus
Roar Pro
I would love to see an actual statement from the SARFU stating that they are exploring the possibility of leaving SANZAR and joining whatever competition that eventuates in the NH. So far all i've seen is speculation and rumours from someone who knows someone who has an aunt who sat five seats down from a SARFU community officer on the afternoon train :D
felix
Guest
+1
Charging Rhino
Roar Guru
"They are part of a competition that is working well so why break it?" - JB that's exactly the point. It's not 'working well' from a South African perspective because Super Rugby is too long and then there's the Currie Cup. Domestic teams play each other too many times in one year. Sharks played the Stormers 6 times last year! 6 times (2 of those in finals games). In the same way the English and French have been raising concerns over the Heineken Cup and now have finally come to blows, SA may do the same about Super Rugby. From my viewpoint, the ARU have only ever wanted it their way and have seemed to be able debate and work their way into getting it.
JB
Guest
Felix - I don't know why you are getting so irate. Fortunately apartheid is gone and no-one wants South Africa to go its own way but why that fixation on joining Europe? They are part of a competition that is working well so why break it? Doing it your own way is not always the best avenue for progress, also remember that....
felix
Guest
Apartheid is gone,get it through your head & stick it there,its as if you are challenging SA to go,we can do it alone & still be a force you wont handle,never say never,you mite just eat your words.
JB
Guest
Changes will have to come. It is a pity that the ERC, that runs the European competitions, had decided to do nothing for so long when noises have been around for a while. Their stupidity is the cause of all that crisis. The ERC president, stupidly states that they will go ahead without the English clubs like in 95-96. What is the value of such a Cup then? Rather than grand-standing they should try to find a viable solution to a crisis the ERC has created. And can we stop that absilute non-sense that South African teams will join the European cup? That will never happen. They are not European (apart from Saracens) so stop those frantic post about South Africa leaving Sanzar. They can do it but they will go back to the apartheid ages, when they were alone in the wilderness.
Intotouch
Guest
This won't be approved by the FFR: http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/heineken-cup-gets-shot-in-arm-from-french-29598769.html Without union approval there will be lawsuits and no referees for the matches. Therefore no franglo cup.
felix
Guest
Roarer you cant call it greed when they are putting so much effort & capital into making rugby a really big deal in their country,Australia is very rich compared to SA,if they were interested in rugby it would be huge,so who'se fault is it that Aussies dont care about rugby?
Roarer
Guest
Why would South Africa leave the super 15 for 4/5/6 games (excluding finals) in the Rugby champions cup? If it were true, then potentially the whole of world rugby could be screwed up because of the Frogs and England's greed. Personally, I think its sour grapes because apart from last year, it has been dominated by the Irish in recent years.
Football United
Guest
They already are. The Pro 12 teams are bleeding players to France who can offer much better wages as well as anyone who isn't SANZAAR making there way to play there and it's only a matter of time before the lure of Top 14 wages and playing in front of full and loud stadiums for once outweighs staying in Australia on a Salary Capped under valued restrictive ARU Contract just for the possibility of maybe playing for Australia.
Tane Mahuta
Guest
Id say it wont be long before these legues are equivalent to the Premier league and La Liga of rugby.