Paris (AFP)
The president of the French Rugby Federation Bernard Laporte wants World Rugby to create a Club World Cup, which would cause the disappearance of the European Cups, he said in an interview published Monday in the biweekly Midi Olympique.
"World Rugby must create a World Cup of professional clubs which would take place every year, outside the traditional 'Rugby World Cup' windows", assured Laporte just over a month from the elections of the governing body of rugby world, on May 13, where he is a candidate for the vice-presidency.
The format? "We can take as a working basis what currently exists at the level of the World Cup: 20 teams divided into four pools of five and a final phase with quarters, half, final. All condensed in six weeks," calculated Laporte .
As for the participants, the boss of French rugby "can imagine seeing qualified the semi-finalists of the Top 14, those of the English championship, the first six of Super Rugby, the first four of the Celtic League, the champion of Japan and that of the States United, for example ".
"We have to create this competition and very quickly. It could be a breath of fresh air for the whole of world rugby," said Laporte.
Such a reflection would have the effect of burying the two European Cups. "It (the Champions' Cup, Editor's note) would disappear, that's for sure, if we don't want to overload the calendar a little more. This European competition is magnificent, with the RCT I was able to lift by three times the trophy and I know what it can represent ... But let's be frank: it does not generate enough income. If we want to develop this Club World Cup, we have to find dates. Without the Champions' Cup is nine weekends that are free, "he concluded.
According to the newspaper, between ticketing and other derivative products, television rights or partnerships and sponsorship, such a competition could bring in between 300 and 500 million euros per event.
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