Restructuring Europe

It's a near constant discussion in the newspapers, on the TV, and down the pub. Does the European system really work? Just recently we've had a few big names from the English Premiership saying that the current system is unfairly skewed to the Irish sides when it comes to winning Europe. In addition, the endless debate about player welfare brings the number of games players play into scrutiny.

With all that in mind, I'm putting forth my proposal for a brand new European system, read on below.

The Champions Cup still draws criticism for how unfair it is to certain nations. Maybe we should just get rid of it.

Does the NFL provide a better
system for European Rugby?

Like every good proposal, we start by taking the current model, ripping it up, burning it, and throwing the ashes in the trash. Instead of following the European football model, where each country has its own league and then a shared cross-continent cup competition, we implement an NFL style conference system - more in line with how Super Rugby is run.

Currently across the three main leagues in Europe, there are 40 teams. Divide these up into 10 conferences based on geography:

A - Irish (Connacht, Leinster, Munster, Ulster)
B - Welsh (Blues, Dragons, Ospreys, Scarlets)
C - Scotland & North England (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle Falcons, Sale Sharks)
D - Midlands (Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, Wasps, Worchester Warriors)
E - South West (Bath, Bristol Bears, Exeter Chiefs, Gloucester)
F - Capitals (Harlequins, Racing 92, Saracens, Stade Francais)
G -  Western France (Agen, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Pau)
H - Eastern France (Clermont, Grenoble, Lyon, Toulon)
I - Southern France (Castres, Montpellier, Perpignan, Toulouse)
J - Italy & South Africa (Cheetahs, Southern Kings, Treviso, Zebre)

Ideally, South Africa would go back to the Southern Hemisphere, and Eastern European countries like Georgia and Russia would get a team in the Italian conference to better encourage growth in those nations - but that's another discussion entirely.

It's crucial that local derbies are maintained as
highlights for the season.

Each team will play a total of 20 regular season games - in an effort to reduce injuries - split between playing their local conference teams twice (home and away), and then the remaining 14 games split across the other conferences. At the conclusion of the regular season, the winner of each conference will progress to the playoffs, as well as the six teams with the highest points totals across all ten conferences as Wildcards. Teams will be seeded, 1st playing 16th, 2nd playing 15th, etc. Highest seeding team will always have home advantage, until the final to be held at a neutral venue.

With this structure, the league will maintain the big local derbies and level the playing field between all nations as they all have the same usual season. But more importantly, it reduces the number of games players partake in during the season, which will logically cause a drastic drop in injuries and concussions.

So how does it fit into the calendar?

Quite nicely actually, simultaneously providing "rest weeks" and keeping international players turning out for their club sides. The proposed northern hemisphere would flow like this:

1. Starting the first weekend in September, there are 8 weeks of league games
2. Following this are 5 weeks for the Autumn international period
1. The first week exists as a "rest week" and allow international camps to take place
2. Three weeks of sanctioned test fixtures
3. Finished by a rest week for international players - although this will likely be a fourth test as per the norm
3. Once the Autumn Internationals are over the remaining 12 weeks of the league take place
4. After the regular season has finished another "rest week" is in place to allow recovery
5. For 4 weeks the playoffs take place culminating in the final at the end of March.
6. Now 8 weeks for the 6 Nations, including training camps, and the customary two off weeks
7. Once the 6 Nations concludes there are another 2 weeks for players to recovery and travel.
8. Finally, the season ends with a 3 week Test window at the end of June for the Summer Tours.
9. Leaving July and August as offseason and preseason for the season to restart in September.

Keeping injuries down is good for the
 players and the game.

As you can see this system allows international windows to take place without competition over player release and allows players time to recover without being flung straight back into the club game. And eventually means that the club supporters get to see their stars every week, which is only good for attendance and crowd enthusiasm. 

Quick Fire Questions

What about a Global Season?

Long story short this proposal doesn't lend much to the concept of a global season. It is focused on sorting out the European system for the betterment of players and supporters.

How does it affect the Southern Hemisphere?

Honestly, not much, it would mean a next to nothing shift of the Summer Tours (one week), meaning it doesn't sort out their interruption yet.

What about a World Cup year?

The weeks required for a six week World Cup would come by moving the weeks required set aside of the Autumn Internationals to the start of the season, and losing the rest week prior to the playoffs.

How does it work with second-tier leagues?
Each nation would be responsible for their own "local club" league(s). These local clubs could act as a feeder system for the "super" clubs,  with a two-way system. Best players get signed by the big clubs, but during international windows, players not selected for the national side can be loaned out to the local clubs in a similar fashion to the Mitre10 cup in New Zealand. This will encourage people to support both their super club and their local club down the road. This idea will be met with resistance from "big" teams like London Irish, Biarritz, and Perpignan, but every positive step has its downsides.

Teams like London Irish will get left out in the cold, but can still dominate the English league.

So there we have it, my proposal for a ten conference rugby league for Europe. Ideally, I would like to see it be just European teams, as the flights to and from South Africa have proven problematic for clubs in the Pro14 since the Cheetahs and Southern Kings joined. And the league should be encouraging emerging rugby nations, not allowing South Africa to play all year round.

I am genuinely interested in hearing your opinions on this proposal, and how you think the European season can be improved. Find me on social media and let me know your thoughts.