English clubs keen on rugby version of the Ryder Cup
WITH tee-off to golf’s Ryder Cup a little over two weeks away, English clubs are reportedly keen to launch rugby’s equivalent of the biennial showpiece between Europe and the United States.
But instead of two continents colliding every two years, it is reported plans for an annual showdown between the best clubs and provinces in the European game against their southern hemisphere counterparts.
It’s reported the games could be played in June and staged from a Friday to Sunday involving the best sides from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales against the cream of the Super Rugby game.
It’s thought just to be one of two ideas on the table among the Gallagher Premiership clubs after stakeholders met this week to rebuff a takeover offer from private equity firm CVC Capital Partners.
The Guardian report there is a desire to reduce the number of competing sides in the Heineken Champions Cup from 20 to 16 clubs.
They would consist of the top five sides in the Guinness PRO14, the Top 14 and the Gallagher Premiership alongside the European Challenge Cup winners from the previous season.
There are seven teams from the English Premiership, seven from the PRO14 and six from the French Top 14 in this year’s competition.
There’s a push among some leading lights in the English game to make the Champions Cup a more elite and cut-throat competition rather than having games at the back end of the tournament with little or nothing on them.
Much could depend on the future direction England’s top clubs head in after Ian Ritchie confirmed they will seek new investment but selling a majority stake in the Gallagher Premiership is “not the preferred option”.
Chairman Ritchie revealed Premiership Rugby would now listen to all offers for investment into the English domestic top flight.
Premiership Rugby voted unanimously to seek new investment in Tuesday’s board meeting in London, leaving chief executive Mark McCafferty anticipating quick movement on a potential deal.
England’s top clubs do not however want to sell on a majority stake in the Premiership, and will attempt to retain overall control of the product.
“We had a very positive board discussion and considered a range of alternatives to accelerate investment in the club game,” said Ritchie.
“The board was unanimous on how to proceed and agreed that selling a majority stake was not the preferred option.
“We shall now develop these options further with our advisors and the interested parties ahead of the next board meeting.
“This is all about how do we engage further in growing from a strong base into something that develops even further?
“And obviously investment, whether it be in stadia, in digital content, in a whole variety of areas, is something that then gives us an opportunity to catapult into the next stage.
“But again, control is something that by and large we would want to keep within the clubs.”