With the new format of the Champions Cup competition, Jacques Raynaud, CEO of EPCR, hopes for “a more demanding group stage”.
On the eve of the launch of the Champions Cup competition, Jacques Raynaud, the chief executive of EPCR, the organizer of the matcg competition, expects the changes to the format to revive competitiveness from the group stage onwards now.
“What will this new format bring to the Champions Cup games, which kicks off on this Friday?
We expect an even more exciting, even more competitive, and even more premium season. We’ve introduced two major changes in the system: the rule requiring three more tries than the opponent to secure the attacking bonus point during the game, and qualification is no longer automatic for the top four, but only for the top three. This will make for a more demanding pool stage. We developed these two rules based on five years of statistical information. We needed sufficient perspective on the 24-team pool stage and the impact of integrating the South African franchises to also make the right decisions. This way, we prevent a team from qualifying for the knockout stage with just one win.”
Was it easy to get people to accept the idea that scoring four tries would no longer guarantee an attacking bonus point?
We were under a lot of pressure to stay within the World Rugby model. But with the statistics and a bit of common sense, we changed. Modern rugby is very attacking team; all the rules have encouraged that. And in the Champions Cup competitiopn, it’s even more so, to favor a home knockout stage, which is statistically so important for going all the way. We wanted to avoid the easy bonus point and the “I’ve scored four tries, now I’ll let them go, defense is optional” mentality.
Beyond these two rules, what other changes have been implemented for this new season competition?
We’ve reworked the teams’ entrance into the stadiums. We’ve sought to differentiate it from those of Top 14 or international matches. The Champions Cup anthem will be a bit more ceremonial. There will also be a line-up of both teams, a new feature that will enhance the solemnity of the moment. We’ve also invested quite a bit to improve the video refereeing. From the knockout stages games onwards, we’ve opted for an independent video referee, no longer dependent on the TV director anymore. We believe this will solves 99% of the problems; there are fewer match interruptions, decisions are faster, and there are no accusations regarding the director’s impartiality.
Years ago, the Champions Cup had a schedule structured around blocks of matches during its pool stage, two in December and two in January too. Why was this format broken up this season?
There are two reasons. Before the Covid pandemic disease, the Champions Cup competition started in October. Part of the rugby community wanted to reinstate this format, as it marks the beginning of the club season and provides a build-up for players before the international break competitions. TV networks and sponsors also appreciate a slightly longer season. Furthermore, the launch of the Nations Championship created a scheduling problem: could we have four weekends of these international games followed immediately by the Champions Cup competition? However, the question remains open: some clubs prefer blocks of matches. This year, we’re giving this schedule a chance, and it’s the right year to do so. This experience will help inform decisions for 2028-2029 and beyond. Next year it won’t be possible, because with the Rugby World Cup jn (October 1st to November 13th in Australia), we’ll start in this December.
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