According to the proposal of the European Association of Professional Clubs (EPCR), if the FIFA Club World Cup has existed for many years, it may also exist in rugby in the future.

The Rugby World Cup could debut in 2028

The announcement follows discussions held on Monday and Tuesday in Toulouse with representatives of 42 clubs from France, England, Ireland, Wales, South Africa and Scotland, as well as officials from World Rugby, the Six Nations and eight other national federations.

Dominic McKay, president of the EPCR, told a press conference how the Club World Cup could be held.

“We are still thinking about it, so that this competition will give a real plus for the players and fans. Our (European) competitions take place over eight weekends.

We could have the World Cup in the last four weekends, grouping them together in the same window in June. We are looking to do something, the potential years we are talking about are 2028 and 2032. We are discussing this in a positive way with our colleagues in the southern hemisphere. The next few months will be enlightening on this issue,” McKay assured.

This means that every four years the final stages of the Champions Cup and Super Rugby will be replaced by the Club World Cup.

McKay added that the bottom eight teams competing in the Champions Cup, which currently features South African franchises, and the top eight teams in Super Rugby, which brings together franchises from the Pacific region, Australia and New Zealand, will qualify. According to News.ro, the title will be played in a direct final phase, which will start with the round of 16.

The EPCR is thinking about how to solve the logistical obstacles that stand in the way of the Club World Cup, as well as details related to the venue, economic aspects and environmental issues.