"The organisers of the Champions Cup are looking to shift the start of the tournament back to October to add extra impetus to the pool stages. This year's competition kicked off in December, but there is collective support from coaches and clubs to commence their campaigns before the packed November Test window. The current structure and calendar slots are technically in place until 2030, but there is growing recognition that a change could be helpful."
"Among other benefits, clubs would have a better chance of having their best players fit and firing before the autumn internationals which, in turn, could encourage more early season interest. This could take the form of a single weekend apiece in October and December rather than two consecutive October weekends, but, either way, European Professional Club Rugby insists that interest in the tournament is rising despite criticism of the 24-team, four-pool structure."
"We have a compelling tournament with a stable format that is delivering what we wanted: jeopardy, increasing audiences, increasing fan engagement. It does tick a number of boxes when you look at the data and the number of people coming to the stadiums. We've got the best attendances in the Champions Cup since Covid and we have also had a 50% increase in digital fan engagement so I'm not just sugar-coating it."
Organisers aim to move the Champions Cup start back to October to increase early-season interest and add impetus to pool-stage matches. Clubs and coaches broadly support starting before the crowded November Test window so teams can field stronger lineups and have top players match-fit for autumn internationals. Proposals include single weekends in October and December rather than consecutive October fixtures. European Professional Club Rugby reports rising interest despite criticism of the 24-team, four-pool format, citing doubled television audiences and a 50% rise in stadium attendances to around 1.5 million, plus increased digital engagement.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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