First rugby Club World Championship confirmed for 2028

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

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The latest breaking UK, US, world, business and sport news from The Times and The Sunday Times. Go beyond today's headlines with in-depth analysis and comment.

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The global tournament will involve 16 teams competing for the title in new format, which will replace the knockout stage of the Champions Cup every four years

The 16 teams would comprise the eight qualifiers from the 2027-28 Champions Cup pool stage and the top seven in Super Rugby Pacific, which includes teams from New Zealand, Australia and Fiji, plus one invited Japanese team. The proposed format is four pools of four teams, with two semi finals and a final.

It is understood that the Premiership, United Rugby Championship and the Top 14 have agreed to move their domestic finals forward in 2028 to make room for a Club World Championship to be held as the climax to the season. Super Rugby Pacific will also adjust their season dates.

I like the idea but I feel the set up is going to be so bad


So based on this season it would be
Champs cup teams: UBB, Saints, Leinster, Munster, Toulouse, Glasgow, Toulon, Castres
Super: Crusaders, Brumbies, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Reds, Moana Pacifica, Blues
Japan top team: Brave Lupus/Wild Knights

Honestly I would rather take a super rugby team away and have another Japanese team

 

[Which Tyler]

The proposed format is four pools of four teams, with two semi finals and a final.

Wow - someone's noticed what everyone's been saying for the last however many years

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Wooo, new teams to lose semi finals and finals too.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Wooo, new teams to lose semi finals and finals too.

George Ford looking at Prendergast after he took his "non-tackling 10" t!tle

 

[big ginger 8]

I actually quite like that format.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I like how it replaces the Champions cup knock out stages. I think makes far more sense in terms of game time.
Also happy it is after the domestic seasons.

 

[stus768]

I like how it replaces the Champions cup knock out stages. I think makes far more sense in terms of game time.
Also happy it is after the domestic seasons.

Yeah. People being like french teams won’t send teams but it’s after their final.

 

[AlRums]

Argentina not get a look in? Or South Africa?

 

[McTallshort]

Argentina not get a look in? Or South Africa?

Aren't SA going in as part of the URC/champions cup?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I also think for this to work you need to add more countries to the European cups.
Spain, Georgia, etc etc

What's the point in holding this style comp in Spain where there isn't really a gateway for them to enter European competitions.


Obviously a growing market in Spain though.

 

[djwizard84]

Latest news & breaking headlines

The latest breaking UK, US, world, business and sport news from The Times and The Sunday Times. Go beyond today's headlines with in-depth analysis and comment.

www.thetimes.com

Honestly I would rather take a super rugby team away and have another Japanese team

and maybe one less from the European group to add the winner of the super rugby Americas

 

[WCRugger]

I also think for this to work you need to add more countries to the European cups.
Spain, Georgia, etc etc

What's the point in holding this style comp in Spain where there isn't really a gateway for them to enter European competitions.


Obviously a growing market in Spain though.

A bit of a caveat with this is it is also the Valladolid derby as well as the Spanish Cup final. And not the first time both of these teams have drawn such a crowd at the very same stadium.

That said, Spain is somewhere that does have growth potential both on and off the pitch. Their junior structures are solid with the U20s and U18s proving competitive but with improvement in them.

The Division de Honor is largely semi-pro. What is needed is a means of taking the next step.

Could be helped by qualification for the RWC. Certainly if they manage to repeat it in 2031 and definitely if they host in 2035.

Something I find fairly interesting is the prominence of the game in the Spanish speaking word. We could have as many as 4 Spanish speaking nations at the RWC in Australia. Then we have the Portuguese.