Anglo-Welsh Cup set for expansion
THE Anglo-Welsh Cup is set to be expanded as part of the new global calendar – potentially with Irish and Scottish teams coming on board.
With summer tours to be moved back a month from June to July after 2019, the domestic season in England will be extended in length.
It will still start in early September but run through until late June.
That will mean pretty much every Aviva Premiership match will be able to be played outside of the international window.
League games will no longer have to be scheduled during the autumn Tests or the Six Nations, with the latter Championship set to be condensed into a six-week period rather than the current seven.
A Premiership source confirmed the plan was to “substantially reduce” the overlap between league and international fixtures.
Currently, there are two Aviva rounds in the November window and four during the Six Nations.
Ending that overlap would leave a number of vacant weekends during the Test campaigns. And the plan – also confirmed by the source – is to expand the existing Anglo-Welsh to cover those weeks, possibly with Irish and Scottish teams introduced.
It would then stand as the third competition behind the respective leagues and Europe.
With Premiership games all being played outside the Test window, the stars would be available throughout and as such there would be fewer opportunities for up and coming players.
The idea is to address that by having an expanded Anglo-Welsh Cup as a development competition which would give talented youngsters game time.
At present, teams are guaranteed just four fixtures and the structure is a convoluted one, with sides playing opponents from other groups rather than their own.
With more weekends available, it could be extended to take in home and away fixtures, while another option could see the likes of Munster, Glasgow and Leinster joining the party.
Welsh regions enjoyed success in the competition when it was a fullyblown event, with both the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues lifting the trophy.
But since it was downgraded to a development tournament in 2010, English clubs have dominated.
No Welsh team has reached the knock-out stages since the Scarlets made the semi-finals in 2012.
The competition took a break last season due to the World Cup, but it has been reintroduced this term, albeit without a sponsor.
It was the Ospreys who led the Welsh challenge, winning three of their four group matches and only missing out on qualification on points difference to Exeter Chiefs.
The final will be played at the Twickenham Stoop on Sunday, with the Chiefs taking on Leicester.
It remains to be seen whether the Celtic season will also be extended from 2020, with a September-June span.
That would enable Pro12 matches to be played outside the international window, tackling a major issue with the cross-border competition.