South Africa conundrum in Heineken Cup revamp
Stephen Jones
Sunday May 01 2022, 12.01am, The Sunday Times
Rugby union
The long-awaited revamp of the Heineken Champions’ Cup, a tournament that has lost a good deal of its lustre over recent seasons, is about to be launched.
We understand that everything is in place except for the identity of the team to join the secondary competition, the Challenge Cup, in place of Ealing Trailfinders. Ealing were expected to be in the Premiership and therefore eligible for Europe, but have decided not to appeal against their exclusion.
The imminent announcement will calm the fears of many that the French and English clubs, unhappy over the years at the lack of financial clout emanating from the tournament, would prefer to target their domestic leagues. There were fears that they would lose interest in the Champions Cup and concentrate entirely on the Top 14 and the Premiership.
But Simon Massie-Taylor, the new chief executive of Premiership Rugby, says that the financial benefits to the French and English clubs are greater than people imagine and also that his soundings indicate that their clubs want to continue.
“I have spent the greater part of my time talking about the tournament with colleagues across the other countries and the message I am getting from the French is that they are very keen and are intending to compete hard for the Heineken Cup,” he says.
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On the commercial front, Heineken are about to re-sign for another stint as title sponsors. We understand that the tournament will be marketed as the Heineken Cup rather than the Champions Cup. The Challenge Cup will also undergo a revamp and the South African team, the Cheetahs, are apparently being lined up to take the Trailfinders’ place in it.
It is also now confirmed that the five top South African provinces will take part, though not yet which of their teams will be in which event. There could be two in the Heineken.
Massie-Taylor points out the impact of South African television and the famous provincial teams. Some doubt whether the addition of those teams is beneficial. England players, especially, are already in danger of over-commitment. Now, some of the clubs could have to make up to four trips to South Africa per season.
The South Africans’ participation already makes the United Rugby Championship (URC) appear unwieldy and clunky. It will be at least five years until any proper judgment can be delivered but the gamble now is Euro-wide.
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Will the superstars travel? Will Johnny Sexton be seen often on South African fields in the colours of Leinster; will Siya Kolisi be seen frequently in Europe for his club?
The tournament will comprise 24 teams — eight each from England, France and the URC. However, the EPCR may reintroduce a qualification law giving at least one place to each nation. At present, the Italian teams are confined to the secondary competition.
There are two key fixture points that will fascinate followers. Will the home-and-away knockout round of the last 16 be retained? It arrived this season to give some semblance of reality at the height of Covid and proved a great success. But if the tournament is to have the same number of games then it will be difficult to fit in the home-and-away round. Massie-Taylor would like that round to be spared.
And will the worst decision ever made by the competing clubs be reversed?
If the Heineken Cup is to be what it sets out to be, it must be the final game of the season, played as a climactic Super Bowl-like affair. At present, because of French clubs’ preference for their climax, it comes three weeks earlier. Wrong.
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