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Possible Changes to Champions Cup in 2022

big ginger 8

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I don't like the two legged semi-finals idea.

Other two are great ideas though - same league games, in Europe, are not interesting at all.
Reducing from 20 to 18 makes sense, too, as there's always a couple of whipping boys (well aware that we are usually one of them, when we make it in).
Presumably would mean the two amateur sides in the challenge cup drops out - sucks for them on a developmental level, but drastically increases the quality of rugby on offer for the punter.
 
I don't get the desire to improve the Challenge Cup. Will people suddenly care about it if Benetton and Bath for example are in it?

18 teams isn't a bad idea. Presumably we'd also have two legged quarter finals.
 
Keep at 20 sides with 4 groups of 5 playing home or away, followed by 3 knockout rounds.
Reduction of 1 round and 2 matches for everyone.
 
Leave the Heino alone, it took 5 years to fix the last mess you made and it's easily the competition with the best format in rugby.

I don't like the idea of three team pools at all at all.

I actually would be up for home and away semi finals because the tournament currently values how many points you get in your group far too highly, the old format of semis being random draws was better.

I don't think you can improve the tournament without dropping to 16 teams and/or adding an extra round. Dropping it from 24 to 20 didn't make much difference in the quality of the competition, drubbings are still common place, teams regularly qualify with a game remaining (or two for the first time ever this season) and the excitement of the final round has dropped if anything because the extra runner up going through makes all the permutations a bit more obvious. I don't think three team pools and bye weeks improve any of these things, it'd probably make most of them worse.
 
4 pools of 4. Cut out the rif raf. No double legged finals. I don't think two legged finals translates well to sports with higher totals even though I believe euro league does it.
 
All of the suggestions are just tinkering that won't actually improve things. I like the idea of no same league games but the changes required aren't worth it.

Two legged semi finals is an incredibly stupid idea.
 
If it ain't broken... I only like the idea No teams from same country. We really do not like sharing a pool with another French team. It takes away from the interest in the competition for fans here. Don't like the 2-legged semis. Daft.

This is the best competition for me because it's hugely competitive (unlike the high number of disjointed games we saw in Japan). The last pool games are going to be mental and the knock-out games are looking fab.

To me Leinster are inching closer to test quality in what they do on and off pitch. They would beat most tier 2 sides and some of the Top 10 bottomers (Argentina, Fiji, Scotland and France).
 
A lot of people here saying the derbies are boring... do the attendances and viewing figures agree?

How do 3 team pools free up space in the calendar? Even if there are less games you still need 6 pool rounds.

It seems like a lot of trouble to go to just to kick the Russians out.
 
No one really cares about the challenge cup anyway realistically, adding a few extra mid table teams isn't going to help that. Should we not be trying to have more, not less teams from Tier 2 countries in?
 
No one really cares about the challenge cup anyway realistically, adding a few extra mid table teams isn't going to help that. Should we not be trying to have more, not less teams from Tier 2 countries in?
Since on one cares about it you could expand it to 32 with the 4 teams from champions cup and 8 more semi pro continental teams. (Maybe invite cheetahs and Kings).
 
I don't really like it. Tournament has found it's groove again after a few wonky years post Reformation. The Challenge Cup won't be of interest for a neutral until semi stage regardless of who's in it. Couldn't tell you who won it most years and I'm extremely handsome and intelligent. I'd take more interest in it if there were more reps from random minnow countries....... And it was actually televised to any decent standard, especially the Thursday games when I'm doing nothing except pulling my Micky and feeling lonely anyway.
I can understand the logic of wanting to keep teams from the same nation out of each other's way, but is it that big an issue?
Two legged semis?? Mehhh. I feel like it reduces the chances of an underdog mugging a result from a better opponent which is also entertaining, while at the same time the back to backs are probably the funnest stage of the pools. For me it's another case of why go there, beyond the gate receipts which is not a valid excuse for adding another extremely attritional game to the year. I wouldn't knock it entirely though if its the route they choose.
 
I'd push it back up to 24 teams. It'd mean more chance of the final games mattering across all groups. I'd probably also rename it the Heineken Cup and have it run by ERC.

Double leg semi-finals are a daft idea - the current format is fine.

"Some stakeholders" need to f**k off. They made a balls of it the last time they changed it.
 
Eight more years of Champ/Challenge cup confirmed


South African clubs not involved, but there's been discussions about it
 

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