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EPCR confirm talks have taken place regarding new global club tournament

Saracens are the reigning Champions Cup holders.

EPCR have confirmed that talks have already taken place regarding the creation of a new global club tournament.

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The idea of a new global club tournament has frequently been mooted recently, with French Rugby President Bernard Laporte, who is hoping to be elected World Rugby vice-chairman next month, telling Midi Olympique that he is keen to introduce a Club World Cup.

Earlier on Monday, Laporte suggested that the Club World Cup would be a 20-team competition which includes teams from the English Premiership, French Top14, Pro14 and Super Rugby, along with the league winners from the United States and Japan, with the tournament taking place every year, bar World Cup years.

Laporte said the Club World Cup would replace the Champions Cup, stating that “it doesn’t generate enough income.”

Yet EPCR have responded to those comments, outlining that while discussions have taken place between EPCR and shareholders, they envisage that any global club tournament would complement the current European competitions.

They also confirmed that their discussions have centered around a global tournament which would take place once every four years, rather than the annual tournament suggested by Laporte.

“EPCR has noted today’s media reports regarding a proposal for an annual Club World Cup,” an EPCR statement read.

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“Discussions have already taken place on an official level between EPCR and its shareholders regarding a global club tournament which could complement the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup and which could take place once every four years. Work on possible formats is ongoing with a collaborative approach and issues of player welfare to the fore.

“EPCR does not believe it appropriate to highlight such discussions while the public health crisis due to COVID-19 continues, and currently, the organisation’s focus is on attempting to reschedule the knockout stages of the 2019/20 tournaments subject to government and local authority directives.”

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NH 1 hour ago
Harness Skelton's might and move Sua'ali'i: How the Wallabies can fix things for Test two

Nice one Nick. I was a fan of Joe’s appointment and think in general he has done well, and I even think the game plan last week was ok, but I am not sold he has gotten his selections right for this series. As everyone has detailed, the pack was too small last week. This week, he has brought in skelton and valetini which is an improvement physicality-wise but now the back 5 is out of balance with only one legitimate lineout option in Frost. The wallabies were poor in the lineout and it meant they couldn’t get into the lions 22 in the 1st half. Its also where most WBs tries originate from. Are they going to opt for a scrum every penalty they get? 3 man lineouts? And as you show, Suaalii is simply too hesitant in D. I guess drifting is better than biting in and taking yourself out of play, but he doesn’t do much more in that last clip. Maxy has 2 involvements in that play, suaalii none. At this rate, Chieka was quicker and better at integrating marika who had more to do to learn the game, than Joe with suaalii.


Do you think that Joe is hesitant to put Suaalii on the wing because he would be exposed in the backfield in terms of kicking, positioning etc? This is the only justification I can think of and also maybe why he has picked the likes of max, potter and kellaway over the likes of daugunu, pietsch and toole. The difference in selection philosophy between schmidt and rennie has come into clear focus to me recently in terms of brain vs braun, power vs graft, workrate vs impact. In my opinion, Schmidt needed to make a hard decision on starting skelton vs a backrow that had bobby and wilson in it and he hasn’t done that. I also feel like he is almost picking a team to minimise the loss rather than win. I think starting a tate, or a pietsch, or bell could’ve signalled some more intent.

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