Push for Radical European Shake-Up as Champions Cup Future Questioned
Premiership Rugby is actively working on proposals to overhaul the structure of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, with growing alignment across Europe that the current format is no longer fit for purpose.
Senior figures within English rugby believe the competition has lost much of the edge and prestige that once defined it, and discussions are underway to present a united front to European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). While the Premiership is leading the process, its thinking is understood to be broadly shared by both France’s Ligue Nationale de Rugby and the United Rugby Championship.
Although neither the Top 14 nor the URC are formally involved in the Premiership’s internal planning, the rare consensus between Europe’s three major leagues has raised hopes that meaningful reform could finally be pushed through. The goal, according to sources, is to restore jeopardy, intensity and elite status to a tournament many feel has become diluted.
That urgency has been sharpened by comments from EPCR chief executive Jacques Raynaud last week, in which he publicly defended the current format and stated that the competition structure is locked in until 2030. Those remarks are understood to have surprised — and frustrated — figures across the Premiership.
One senior source told the telegraph about the mood he bluntly put it:
“We’re dissatisfied. We believe this competition should sit properly between domestic leagues and international rugby. It needs to feel elite and premium again — and we think that’s achievable.”
At the heart of the debate is scale. The Champions Cup currently features 24 teams, a number critics say has stripped meaning from the pool stage and allowed sides to progress despite minimal success. This season, both Leicester Tigers and the Bulls reached the knockout rounds having won just one match, a scenario many believe undermines the tournament’s credibility.
The leading idea gaining traction within English rugby is a reduced, high-intensity competition. One proposal would see the Champions Cup cut to 16 teams, with qualification restricted to the very top performers from the Premiership, Top 14 and URC. The tournament could then be played in a continuous block — either before Christmas or immediately after the Six Nations — with straight knockout rugby across consecutive weekends to build momentum, narrative and genuine consequence.
This concept is not new. EPCR explored similar options during a strategic review in 2022, including both 16- and 18-team models. However, those talks stalled over disagreements between leagues on qualification numbers and competitive balance. Any reduction would require at least one league to surrender places, a compromise that has historically proven difficult — particularly given the need for unanimous approval among stakeholders.
The Irish provinces, in particular, have previously been resistant to formats that limit representation, and that unanimity requirement remains the single biggest obstacle to reform.
EPCR maintains that it is open to dialogue. A spokesperson pointed to ongoing work by its sporting and tournaments committee, which includes representatives from all three leagues, and said the organisation remains willing to assess improvements that benefit players, supporters and the wider game.
Broadcasting remains the most immediate barrier to change. EPCR’s current television agreement with Premier Sports runs until the end of the 2026–27 season, and any significant reduction in fixtures would require broadcaster approval. However, the wider media landscape is also shifting — particularly in Ireland.
At present, there is no free-to-air television coverage of European club rugby in Ireland, with RTÉ having completely withdrawn from broadcasting club competitions. That absence has significantly reduced the competition’s reach beyond core supporters. Advocates of reform believe a streamlined, high-stakes tournament could reignite interest from free-to-air broadcasters, with RTÉ potentially tempted back by a revitalised Champions Cup featuring fewer teams, clearer storylines and marquee knockout fixtures.
Looking further ahead, the renewal of European broadcast rights from 2027 onwards may offer the clearest window for change. TNT Sports, already the lead broadcaster for the Premiership, could consider re-entering the European rugby market — particularly if it allows English domestic rugby to sit on one platform in the post-2027 World Cup cycle.
Complicating matters further is the introduction of the Rugby World Club Cup, scheduled to launch in 2028 under EPCR’s management. That competition is set to replace the latter stages of the Champions Cup every four years, adding another layer to an already crowded calendar.
For now, momentum is building behind the scenes. Whether it results in real structural change will depend on politics, broadcast negotiations and a collective acceptance that prestige, reach and free-to-air exposure — not volume — may be key to securing the Champions Cup’s long-term future.
