Inaugural World Club Cup on course for 2028 launch

The timing isn't great for the Super Rugby teams - it might mean pushing the competition earlier and we are already starting in summer (February) which can regularly have temps in the 30s (and still in the high 20s at night).

But I think it would actually bring something to SR. If the top teams prove to be competitive at this level and if we get a decent share of any revenue, then it could help bolster the SR competition and give it some additional meaning. And it might draw in the sort of private investors that Europe have. We have a very small market - about 30-32 million population across the Pacific countries that participate. It would be good to be part of something larger that brought more eyeballs from outside. And, if a team like the Reds or the Crusaders or the Drua are competitive, it could get NH fans watching the regular SR competition - buying subscriptions etc.

So, while it won't be easy for us to be involved, it could be beneficial longer term. It is probably better than expanding SR and taking on all the burden of regular travel to places like SA or Japan or S. America, which was part of what brought us undone before.

What might work even better would possible to add some expansion in the region, play SR AU and SR NZ again (with some added Pacific teams) and have the Top 4 from NZ and the Top 2 from the Australian conference included based on recent results.

When the Blues went north to play the European champions in the late 90s and thumped them, the NH has never wanted a bar of a world club championship.

Now years later the NH and now Japanese clubs having strip-mined SH Super sides of as many players and coaches as they can get their hands on for their own teams, it suddenly seems like a great idea to them.

They just had to wait for the Crusaders to finally slip.

I'd have much preferred this in year three of the World Cup cycle. Playing in Europe, just after the world cup exodus, seems like a pretty tall order.

Six Super Rugby Teams? Really? Just the top 8 from the champions cup? are you kidding me?

Far too many super rugby teams for this competition, sorry to say it but with the quality of Super Rugby these days, how did they swing this? There are 16 positions and 5 comps, rather make it 3 from each competition and one invitational side from the Argies (bring back the Jaguares).

However still not intrigued to watch it…

Holds no interest for me. I don’t want All Blacks getting burnout with an extra competition.

I hope the NZ teams send extended squads of young players who need the experience.

Initially, I thought it would be a great idea! However, on reflection, I don’t know what benefits a Super Rugby team ( I loath them being referred to as clubs) or a club from Japan would take away from this. Teams from Australia and New Zealand don’t even mix with our friends in Japan on a regular basis as it is, beside maybe a preseason trip or two. Maybe, a regional tournament model that would result in the winners playing each other for a World Club trophy instead? I don’t know, but I’m struggling to see the value in it when the goal for any one playing at that level isn’t to match up against a club from half way around the world, but to push for selection in a national team to represent their country. Just my 2 cents.

I don’t like this.

There are enough rugby competitions. Creating more will just devalue what we already have.