Best of Super Rugby set to take on the north

A money-spinning rugby world club championship involving the top 16 teams from both hemispheres is gathering momentum for a 2022 kickoff, says UK newspaper The Telegraph.

The newspaper has reported ‘‘growing optimism’’ and support among key stake-holders for the much talked-about world championship for clubs and franchises to finally get over the line, with hopes it can be in place for the end of the 2021-22 season.

The competition, to be held every four years, would feature the leading eight sides from each hemisphere and be played out in a knockout format.

The plan is for Europe’s premier competition, the Champions Cup, to remain as the showpiece of the club calendar, but in years that the world championship is being it held it would replace the knockout rounds of that event.

As The Telegraph explained, the champions of Europe’s three main domestic competitions – the Premiership, Pro14 and Top 14 – as well as the Champions Cup winners from 2020-21 would qualify for the new tournament as the first four sides from the north.

They would then be joined by the four top-ranked finishers from the pool stages of next season’s Champions Cup.

There is no detail about how the south’s top eight sides would be determined, though clearly the fluid situation with South Africa makes it complicated. It is thought the republic’s leading sides, after being cut loose by New Zealand and Australia for Super Rugby next season, could be set to align with the north.