Super Rugby vs URC: How a Global Rugby Club World Cup Could Look After Munster vs Crusaders

• Super Rugby has lost its place as the premier domestic rugby competition in the world
• The URC has seen a surge in profitability since incorporating the South African franchises
• English clubs have been struggling financially, with three iconic teams suffering insolvency

The growth and expansion of rugby union has often been hindered by a commitment to the status quo.

That said, tradition should not be sacrificed without thorough introspection, especially if a superior alternative is not in place.

World Rugby has sought to streamline the sport's global calendar, but the answer may not be with international rugby but at the domestic level.

URC champions, Munster, hosted the Super Rugby-winning Crusaders in a one-off match in early February. The 'Clash of Champions' was part of the Crusaders' pre-season but greater interest would exist if both teams were in fighting form.

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Part hypothetical, part fantasy, but with more than a little merit, the following is Sports Brief's imagined possibility for rugby's version of the Club World Cup - or Intercontinental Knockout Challenge - to avoid any football comparisons.

Possible Rugby Club World Cup

Leagues growing across the world

They may be a few steps down in quality, but the leagues in less-traditional markets have grown. Japan's top division continues to pull Test-level players and the growth of Super Rugby Americas can only be a positive.

Major League Rugby is some way off but an opportunity for these teams to test themselves against even the lesser teams of Europe and Australasia would be a motivator akin to those trying to qualify for the World Cup.

Possible Format

The competition need not be annual and could be a quadrennial tournament to break up the wait for the World Cup.

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16 teams from Europe and Australasia could join 16 qualifiers from the rest of the world for a cup and plate knockout competition.

A 32-team, straight knockout competition would take five weekends if hosted in one region. However, a smaller version could be trialled to gauge if an annual version would be more profitable.

European Professional Club Rugby chairman, Dominic McKay, suggested in November that the project was in the pipeline. As quoted by RugbyPass, he said:

"There is a real warmth to develop a Club World Cup. A number of clubs from France and the UK were pushing us quite hard."

Global Calendar

The calendar and fixture congestion are the first stumbling blocks cited by level-headed doubters. Player fatigue and the long-term effects on the brain are another concern, but the size of squads has increased, as has the sophistication of sports science.

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The URC and the European Champions and Challenge Cup finals are all played in May, with the Top 14 and the Premiership playing their finals in June.

The Super 12 finals of the 2000s were also played in May, and with the competition reduced to 12 teams again, June and July would pose the ideal window.

Pushing the mid-year internationals into August would take serious negotiating, too. It would have been sacrilege to suggest it pre-2020, but scrapping the Rugby Championship in favour of more conveniently timed in-and-out bound Tests might not be out of the question for a profit-driven SARU.

International interest

Rugby's international audience has grown considerably when weighing up the figures presented by World Rugby after the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The television audience grew 30% from that of the 2015 edition hosted in England, and SA Rugby boasted about breaking broadcast records for the URC in 2023.

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A fresh competition offers a clean slate for revenue distribution and hosting opportunities for the cash-strapped Premiership Rugby Ltd and ailing Rugby Australia.

Following the success of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, World Rugby announced a string of reforms to be implemented from 2026, but these are focused more on international rugby.

However, one hopes the domestic game is shown some attention, as that is where the game grows in the hearts of players.

URC Round 11 results

Sports Brief recently compiled a list of results from the United Rugby Championship after Round 11.

The Bulls kept pressure on leaders, Leinster, by beating the Stormers for the first time in six attempts.

The Sharks remained rooted to the bottom after their 10th defeat this season to the Lions at Ellis Park.