The new era of European rugby competition began in Neuchâtel, Switzerland today with the draws for next season’s inaugural Rugby Champions Cup and Rugby Challenge Cup. The competitions replace the now defunct Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup and are run by a new organising committee called European Professional Club Rugby. EPCR aims to create…
There was an interesting article in The Guardian this week, by rugby correspondent Paul Rees, entitled ‘Heineken Cup torn between a rock and an empty place for semi-final crowds’. In summary, it talked about the frustration among European clubs (Aviva Premiership ones in particular) in staging semi-finals at national stadia which, given the very quick…
Peace in our time. After almost two years of political wrangling, it was announced yesterday (Thursday 10th April 2014) that agreement has been reached on the format, revenue distribution and shared TV rights for, what will be called, the European Rugby Champions Cup. The new 20-team tournament, which will start in October this year, will…
And so it would seem that European rugby’s very own version of an Entente Cordiale is almost signed, bringing to an end months (nay years) of political bickering, bargaining and bemoaning. The TV rights have been agreed on, the format has been ratified and the revenue split has been approved. Bar a couple of (what…
With the confirmation yesterday of Leigh Halfpenny’s switch to big-spending Toulon next season, Shôn Douglas takes a look at the Welsh players on the brink of following the star fullback to the riches of France. The great and the good of Welsh Rugby are faced with an unenviable decision to make at the end…
Red Rugby 