THE feelgood factor following the showcase European Cup final between Saracens and Leinster three weeks ago could be in jeopardy because the start of next season’s tournament is jammed so close to the World Cup.
The World Cup final in Yokohama takes place on November 2, just two weeks before the first European pool round, with Europe’s gold standard club competition scheduled to start on the weekend of November 15-17. This creates serious potential problems for any clubs with big international contingents, and will also give a significant advantage to clubs with fewer internatio...