A European Super league

Doctor Zaius

Just reading there about how English and French clubs are losing interest in Europe and how the Heineken Cup is stacked in the Magner League's favour. So the thought crossed my mind, how about a European Super League.

Say 20 teams, 2 groups of 10. top 2 in each group qualify for semi's or something like that.

Now as I said the thought has just crossed my mind so I haven't thought through the ramifications. Obviously it's gonna have knock on effects on national leagues.

But just wondering what people think on the matter?

I'm guessing the French given the importance of their championship wouldn't be keen on the idea. I think the English would be a bit more open to it.

So European Super League - Yay or nay?

PhatPiggins

The English teams (claimed)interest goes up and down depending on how well they are doing.

The French would never accept it to be honest.

thomond2006

We already have a European League, it's called the Heineken Cup.

I think the Magners League is a competition that is getting better and is a good arena for younger players to get gametime.

I'd be against it as the teams / clubs who aren't involved would be wiped out financially.

OP, I don't the ML has a distinct advantage. French clubs have done well this year. The GP clubs have been poor because the GP is terrible.

profitius

The ML is growing every year and there'll be a big finale this season so its worth sticking with. No need for a European super league.


The plus side would be money. French, Irish and British TV money = big bucks compared to the ML and even HEC.

Risteard

French would never agree to it.

They value their competition too much and there's a lot of history behind it.

I wouldn't like it anyway. There's too many clubs tbh. The only way it would work is if the clubs in England and France were restructured into big franchises similar to the Super 14.

thomond2006

Risteard wrote: »

The only way it would work is if the clubs in England and France were restructured into big franchises similar to the Super 14.

Which fans would be totally against, look at the attendances of the Welsh "regions" for proof.

Risteard

thomond2006 wrote: »

Which fans would be totally against, look at the attendances of the Welsh "regions" for proof.

That goes without saying tbh.

Digifriendly

thomond2006 wrote: »

Which fans would be totally against, look at the attendances of the Welsh "regions" for proof.

Yes, astonished that yesterday's 'winner takes all clash' at the Liberty Stadium was not a sell out.

profitius

Digifriendly wrote: »

Yes, astonished that yesterday's 'winner takes all clash' at the Liberty Stadium was not a sell out.

Especially for a rugby loving nation.

danthefan

Definitely not, the HEC is the best club competition in the world and should not be touched for any reason.

Jedwardian

Yay, eventually. A 32-40 team league split into 6-8 divisions with a 20-24 game season followed by 12-16 team playoffs.

For now the system works brilliantly but down the line fans will grow tired of playing the same teams multiple times every season. For example, this season Ulster will play Edinburgh at least 4 times and Leinster will play the Scarlets at least 4 times. That's overkill.

Digifriendly

Jedwardian wrote: »

For now the system works brilliantly but down the line fans will grow tired of playing the same teams multiple times every season. For example, this season Ulster will play Edinburgh at least 4 times and Leinster will play the Scarlets at least 4 times. That's overkill.

Same with Sale/Harlequins. Don't forget Ango-Welsh Cup means some English clubs play each other 3 times a season as well.

ScrubsfanChris

As said above the French would never agree, also smaller teams/clubs would be wiped off the face of the earth finacially.

Podge_irl

I can't express in words how much I hate this idea. Sorry OP, but it would kill domestic rugby. I think what we have now is as good as it can get. The HEC is the best sub-international rugby comp in the world - and one of the best sporting comps in the world full stop. A European league would kill that. On top of that I think it would further winden the gap between the successful European teams and the less succesful ones. I wouldn't want it to evolve (devolve?) into a situation where there are 4-5 major teams a lá the soccer premiership, which would happen rather quickly I think.

thomond2006

Podge_irl wrote: »

I can't express in words how much I hate this idea. Sorry OP, but it would kill domestic rugby. I think what we have now is as good as it can get. The HEC is the best sub-international rugby comp in the world - and one of the best sporting comps in the world full stop. A European league would kill that. On top of that I think it would further winden the gap between the successful European teams and the less succesful ones. I wouldn't want it to evolve (devolve?) into a situation where there are 4-5 major teams a lá the soccer premiership, which would happen rather quickly I think.

Excellent post.

Peter B

Doctor Zaius wrote: »

Just reading there about how English and French clubs are losing interest in Europe and how the Heineken Cup is stacked in the Magner League's favour.

Where did you read this? Interested to have a read of the article myself. I haven't heard anything negative from English or French teams about the Heineken Cup in years but then again I haven't been following the papers.

ScrubsfanChris

If the English are losing interest in it, then why are Sky Sports pumping millions a year into exclusive broadcast rights?

On another note: I pretty sure this topic came up before in some form.

Doctor Zaius

It wasn't a newspaper article, it was just mentioned in another thread I was reading and personally I do think there is a certain truth to it, the French especially have always had a strange relationship with the competition.

The Magners League does have an advantage in that there is no relegation, so English and French will always have one eye on their own league.

No doubt, the idea probably has come up before, it was just something that crossed my mind while reading the other threads and I was just wondering how people would react to the idea of a Superleague. I'm not saying it's the right way to go.

It has seemed to work in the Southern Hemisphere but as pointed out by others, the "franchising" of Welsh clubs isn't going too well and if I remember correctly when the English RFU thought about franchising a few years ago the clubs weren't too happy about it. As for the French, I'd be amazed if they agreed to give up their championship but maybe the championship could be retained (like the Currie Cup) and have the Super league as well. Of course the finances of the smaller clubs is an important issue, nobody wants to see clubs disappearing

mink_man

not gonna happen, big clubs would just get better, poor clubs would just get weaker, also how about for clubs like connacht whos best match to play in is leinster and munster, they sometimes produce unreal performances.

profitius

Clubs don't take it seriously if they think they don't really have a chance of winning. If a French or English team got to the final you'd be mad to say they're not taking it seriously. 4 French teams qualified this year for the quarters. Hardly not taking it seriously.


Toulouse have won it more then anyone and always take it seriously. They're actually disappointed that they havn't done better in recent years.


The reason some say that English and French teams don't take it seriously is because Irish teams have won it 3 of the last 4 seasons. Its simply hidden begrudgery.

buck65

It is Europe's premier rugby tournament, it has it's faults but look at the 8 1/4 finalists. Probably the 8 best teams in Europe at the moment
Remember Wasps and Saracens didn't qualify but would be up there too in my reckoning.
Back to the Magners league bias, until the ML only send the top 6 to the HCup regardless of location it will be hard to argue with that.
The levelling out of talent in Europe is phenomenal. Look at the teams that aren't in the quarters! Any of the 8 teams left could conceivably win it this year.
HCup forever.

danthefan

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

If the English are losing interest in it, then why are Sky Sports pumping millions a year into exclusive broadcast rights?

On another note: I pretty sure this topic came up before in some form.

Their coverage is getting better year on year too.

profitius

danthefan wrote: »

Their coverage is getting better year on year too.

While their GP coverage has gotten worse.

ScrubsfanChris

profitius wrote: »

While their GP coverage has gotten worse.

Agree, one match a week is pretty bad. Yet they have cameras and commentators at all the games?
Magners League will have very wide coverage next year on "RTE / TG4 / BBC Wales / S4C / STV" and all for Free.... :P

sock puppet

profitius wrote: »

Clubs don't take it seriously if they think they don't really have a chance of winning. If a French or English team got to the final you'd be mad to say they're not taking it seriously. 4 French teams qualified this year for the quarters. Hardly not taking it seriously.


Toulouse have won it more then anyone and always take it seriously. They're actually disappointed that they havn't done better in recent years.


The reason some say that English and French teams don't take it seriously is because Irish teams have won it 3 of the last 4 seasons. Its simply hidden begrudgery.

Well the smaller French clubs such as Brive etc do play weakened teams, and even the bigger teams don't always give it their all in away games. On the other hand I think Magners League teams sometimes focus too much on Europe. Look at Scarlets and Blues for instance. They're in the Amlin, great. But it's very possible one of them won't make the Heineken Cup next year, which is much more important. Connacht do similar, putting in all their best performances in the Amlin Cup.

PhatPiggins

sock puppet wrote: »

Well the smaller French clubs such as Brive etc do play weakened teams, and even the bigger teams don't always give it their all in away games. On the other hand I think Magners League teams sometimes focus too much on Europe. Look at Scarlets and Blues for instance. They're in the Amlin, great. But it's very possible one of them won't make the Heineken Cup next year, which is much more important. Connacht do similar, putting in all their best performances in the Amlin Cup.

Any adavantage the top ML teams have in terms of resting players and no relegation is negated by the top 6 T14 teams huge budgets/squads. They're version of a weakened team contains 13 internationals. OK the likes of Brive's second team is no great shakes but the weakened versions of Clermont,Toulouse,Stades teams would finish in the top 6 of the ML.