Danny Brosnan
As we all know the challenge Cup is the bridesmaid to the Champions Cup. With the Champions Cup having expanded to 24 teams and the Premiership going from 13 teams down to 10 because of teams going bust. The Challenge Cup has been left with 16 clubs plus 2 invited teams. But it begs the questions. Has the Challenge Cup lost a certain amount of it aura? Is it time to revamp qualification or the competition itself to make it something different?
A dimming star
Although the Challenge Cup has never had the magnitude or magnetic attraction of it’s bigger more popular sibling. It was still a great way for lower echelon teams in a league to develop against there European brethren and later the South African comrades in balls, brawls and beer. Yet the only main attraction from the last few years was a spot in the Champions Cup party for the winners.
The last few seasons of having to stream it online haven’t exactly been a ringing endorsement of the drawing quality of rugby the competition has.
But has the clubs involved been the only reason it’s been on some what of a slump? Could it be the fact it’s not exploited a niche?
Opportunities for change
Yes it’s given some teams a chance to shine and given other countries a chance to pit there best side or combination side out there. Teams like the Bucharest Wolves, Tbilisi Caucasians, Olympus Madrid and Enisei-STM, a side Connacht travelled nearly 6,000 kms to face in that cold Siberian match. Also it’s invited Currie Cup and ex-Pro14 side the Cheetahs and RE Super Cup winners Black Lion (Georgia) and also competes in the Currie Cup first division.
But considering how many teams have been invited to compete. Would the EPRC not be better off expanding it’s net into the RE Super Cup for the compensation? Would opening the door to the RFU Championship be an alternative? After all the Premiership seems to like the fact it’s ring fenced itself.
It’s got some great potential ways to grow itself as a competition if it was willing to think outside the box and become unorthodox. It’d be seen as the competition to give the outsiders an opportunity to display there talents and grow a market in new areas.
Who doesn’t love a bit of intrigue in sports? Seeing Connacht go to SA to face the Cheetahs. Newcastle Falcons vs Black Lion, Geordies vs Georgians. New teams from other leagues, the real David vs Goliath matches.
Changing the game.
That’s the opportunity the Challenge Cup has. To be the Napstar or ECW of rugby. Something that applied to the the lovers of rugby but changed the game in away that people took notice. It gave the lower teams in the big to get better. But it paints the fact the EPRC want to build the rugby not just in the big leagues but in the continent as a whole.
At this stage the change might need to be brought in bit by bit. In a few years it may go out on a quite whimper rather than a blaze of glory with RE picking up the pieces for a renewed Continental Shield. Which mightn’t be a bad idea if they were to exploit the unique factors of a tier two competition.
Worth the change?
Yet is it worth having much stronger professional teams against lesser professional and semi-professional teams? In the competitive aspect no it’s not. But the expansion would be worth the extra eyes on the event.
Even having it with the sixteen best of the big three leagues and eight other sides it would still the have opportunity to maintain a similar competition style to the Champions Cup. Also with the 24 teams it wouldn’t need teams dropping down which makes both competitions a bit more competitive.
Having one group of the tier 2/invited would draw more interest as well as at least four of the teams would get through under the present format.
Personal I’d say the changes would be worth it for promotion of the game. Even if there’s lobsided results.