Premiership-Championship Cup confirmed
PENZANCE, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: Robin Wedlake of Cornish Pirates takes on Alex Lewington of Saracens during the Greene King IPA Championship match between Cornish Pirates and Saracens at Mennaye Field on March 06, 2021 in Penzance, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
The addition of Championship teams to the Premiership Rugby Cup, first reported in The Rugby Paper on 9th April, has been confirmed by Premiership Rugby, the RFU and Championship Rugby.
As with the last incarnation of the competition played during a Rugby World Cup the pool stages will take place during the tournament over five consecutive weeks, before the semi-finals are held on the 9-11 February and the final on the weekend of the 15-17 March.
The confirmation that the tournament will have four groups of six playing also effectively guarantees there will be 24 teams involved in the two leagues next year, meaning that either the currently 11-team Premiership or 12-team Championship will have to expand.
Phil Winstanley, Premiership Rugby’s Rugby Director said: “It is many years since the Premiership and Championship Clubs clashed in a Cup competition.
“The Championship performs a crucial role within the English game and we’re looking forward to renewing some rivalries of old.”
It will be the first time in 18 years that Premiership and Championship clubs will face off in a cup competition after the RFU Knockout Cup, then known as the Powergen Cup, was replaced with the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
With Championship clubs reportedly struggling financially, and the Premiership seeing two clubs fold this season season, the news will be seen as an important first step for those calling for a fairer and more sustainable funding system.
And that was alluded to by Conor O’Shea, RFU Executive Director of Performance Rugby, who hinted that more reforms may be on the way.
He said: “We’re really pleased to confirm that next season’s Premiership Cup will include both Premiership and Championship clubs and are excited to see this new format come to fruition and form part of the longer-term solution for the game.”
With attendances averaging 2,401 in the Championship this weekend, comfortably the highest for a single round of the second tier since the Covid-19 Pandemic, the move could well breathe life into a tournament that seemed to lack any real spark this year, with a lowest recorded attendance of just 758.
Steve Lloyd, Chair of the Championship Clubs Committee, welcomed the unity between the three governing bodies and was optimistic about the prospects for the sides he represents.
“The new Cup format is the result of great collaboration between the Championship, RFU and Premiership Rugby,” he said. “The clubs are delighted with the opportunity a different format brings as well as the experience of playing Premiership sides and the opportunity to welcome new fans into our clubs and grow our audiences.”
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