Glasgow Warriors coach Franco Smith has warned that reducing the number of Investec Champions Cup teams from 24 to 16 could widen the financial gap between URC and French clubs.
French league president Yann Roubert this week backed an English proposal for a revamped competition that would scrap the pool stage and begin with a two-legged round of 16 before moving into quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final.
The tournament currently consists of eight qualifiers from each of the French Top 14, English Premiership and URC.
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Smith accepts that fewer teams could raise the standard of the tournament, but questioned the impact it could have on clubs operating with smaller budgets.
“The competition structure must be worthwhile and must deliver the best product – that is why it is the Champions Cup,” he said.
“I think the challenge will also be for clubs with lesser budgets to maintain the quality of the groups [squads] they have if they want to compete in that competition.
“There is a lot of extra income involved if you are part of the Champions Cup that allows you to carry a different squad during the season.”
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Smith, whose Glasgow side reached the quarter-finals in each of the past two seasons, believes reducing the field could produce bigger matches earlier in the competition.
“But I think the Champions Cup as it is now – and for that matter, the Challenge Cup – has got such a good competition feel to it that it will be strange for me if they want to tinker with the current product,” he added.
Smith believes the biggest financial beneficiaries of a smaller competition would be the wealthiest clubs.
“I think the strongest teams financially in the competition, whether that be the French or whoever, will have a benefit if there are less teams – from a commercial value first.
“Obviously you fill out stadiums if you have Toulouse etc come and play at Scotstoun.
“The URC clubs will be at risk in the long term of having smaller budgets because of the quality of the European Cup games, or the lack of financial ability to compete in the European Cup might lead to lesser URC teams playing in it and it might lead to smaller budgets being retained.”
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Photo: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
The post Franco fears ‘elitist’ Euro revamp appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Glasgow Warriors coach Franco Smith has warned that reducing the number of Investec Champions Cup teams from 24 to 16 could widen the financial gap between URC and French clubs.
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