Il caos in cui era precipitata l’Europa ovale è finalmente stato superato e oggi, giovedì 10 aprile, è stato firmato l’accordo per la nascita delle tre nuove Coppe Europee.
I nove fondatori del nuovo assetto europeo sono: Federation Francaise de Rugby (FFR), Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR), The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), Ligue Nationale De Rugby (LNR), Premiership Rugby Ltd (PRL), Regional Rugby Wales Ltd (RRW), The Rugby Football Union (RFU), Scottish Rugby Union PLC (SRU) e The Welsh Rugby Union Ltd (WRU).
Le tre competizioni, come ampiamente anticipato, saranno denominate European Rugby Champions Cup, the European Rugby Challenge Cup e the Qualifying Competition.
Per quanto riguarda la massima competizione europea, che sarà a 20 squadre, prenderanno parte le “top six from Top 14, the top six from Premiership Rugby, the top seven from Pro 12, with at least one club from each country participating in the league”.
L’Italia, quindi, avrà una sola rappresentante, mentre è lotta apertissima tra Galles (Scarlets, decisamente favoriti), Scozia (Edinburgh) e Irlanda (Connacht) per il sesto e ultimo posto che qualificherà direttamente.
Il comunicato continua spiegando che “in the first season, the 20th place will be taken by the winner of a play off between the seventh-highest finishing club from Top 14 and the seventh-highest finishing club from Premiership Rugby. This play off will be played in May 2014, either as one match (in which case, there will be a draw for home advantage) or home and away over two legs”.
Ma a partire dal prossimo anno, il playoff sarà tra la “settima classificata in Top 14, la settima in Aviva Premiership e ottava e nona di Pro 12 (o tra le due squadre meglio classificate ma non qualificate direttamente”.
Interessante è anche la struttura della terza competizione, una novità assoluta, che darà alle prime due classificate il diritto di giocare in European Rugby Challenge Cup, la seconda coppa per importanza. Il torneo sarà tra ” eight and 12 teams from Tier 2 countries and Italian clubs as agreed by EPCR & FIRA-AER” citando ancora il comunicato, che riportiamo più sotto integralmente.
Ecco le dichiarazioni del presidente federale italiano Gavazzi
“Roma – Il Presidente della Federazione Italiana Rugby Alfredo Gavazzi, a seguito del raggiungimento dell’accordo relativo alla riorganizzazione delle Coppe Europee – alla cui firma ha partecipato oggi a Londra – ha rilasciato la seguente dichiarazione: “Siamo particolarmente orgogliosi e soddisfatti dell’accordo raggiunto, pienamente in linea con quelle che erano le nostre volontà ed aspettative. Il rugby italiano, dopo aver ottenuto un ruolo di socio paritario all’interno del RaboDirect PRO12, vede riconosciuto per la prima volta un trattamento paritario a quelle delle altre Federazioni di Celtic Rugby anche sulla prestigiosa scena delle competizioni continentali per Club: si tratta di un risultato importante per tutto nostro movimento, per il quale desidero ringraziare il vice-presidente vicario Saccà, Fabrizio Gaetaniello ed Andrea Rinaldo per il prezioso contributo. A Rinaldo voglio, inoltre, rivolgere le più sentite congratulazioni per la nomina a membro del comitato di designazione del nuovo organo di governo delle Coppe Europee in quota RaboDirect PRO12”.
Il comunicato ufficiale che sancisce la nascita delle nuove competizioni europee. In chiusura, si ricorda che la nuova società che avrà sede in Svizzera, “European Professional Club Rugby” terrà fede agli accordi stipulati dall’ERC. Resterebbe confermata, quindi, Milano come sede della prossima massima competizione europea.
“Three new cross-border club competitions will be created, to be called the European Rugby Champions Cup, the European Rugby Challenge Cup and the Qualifying Competition
An association will be established in Switzerland called ‘European Professional Club Rugby’ (EPCR). This body will be responsible for organising and managing the Cup Competitions.
European Rugby Champions Cup qualification
Twenty clubs qualify through the finishing positions in their leagues from the preceding season. This includes the top six from Top 14, the top six from Premiership Rugby, the top seven from Pro 12, with at least one club from each country participating in the league.
In the first season, the 20th place will be taken by the winner of a play off between the seventh-highest finishing club from Top 14 and the seventh-highest finishing club from Premiership Rugby. This play off will be played in May 2014, either as one match (in which case, there will be a draw for home advantage) or home and away over two legs.
For subsequent seasons this will be between the seventh-highest finishing club from Top 14, the seventh-highest finishing club from Premiership Rugby and the eighth- and ninth-highest finishing clubs from Pro 12 (or the two highest-finishing which have not already qualified automatically).
From the 2015 season, if the previous season’s European Rugby Challenge Cup winner has not already qualified through its finishing position in its league, it will participate in the play off by taking a place given to its league.
The play off will take place over two dates, firstly seeing the seventh-placed club in theTop 14 versus eighth or ninth from Pro 12 and the seventh club of Premiership Rugby versus eighth or ninth from Pro12. The matches will be played at the home venues of the Top 14 and Premiership Rugby clubs. The second date sees the two winners from the first matches play each other, the venue will be selected by a draw.
Finally, the quarter-final winners will play the semi-finals and the semi-final winners will play the final.
European Rugby Challenge Cup qualification
Twenty clubs qualify including 18 clubs from Top 14, Premiership Rugby and Pro 12. The two other clubs will come from the qualifying competition organised with FIRA-AER (Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur-Association Européenne de Rugby)
Format of both competitions
The competition will take place over nine weekends. The Pool phase will be through five Pools of four teams which will play each other home and away (six matches). The five Pool winners and the 3 best runners-up will qualify for the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals will be played at the home venues of the four best Pool winners.
Calendar of both competitions
The Pool phase will be played in three blocks of two weekends and will be completed by the end of January. The final will take place latest the first weekend of May.
EPCR
EPCR will be managed through a Board of Directors representing all parties and an Executive committee in charge of commercial matters and assisting with preparations of Board meetings. The EPCR Board shall have an Independent Chairman.
The EPCR Executive will comprise the Independent Chairman, Director-General, and three voting representatives, one from each of the leagues – namely the Top 14, Premiership Rugby and Pro 12. The Director-General shall manage the day to day operations of EPCR.
Competitions will be under the aegis of the IRB and run according to the IRB Laws Relating to the Game and IRB Regulations. The parties have also agreed to form a working party to discuss and propose the principles of an integration of European competitions within an all-encompassing European rugby framework.
There is a minimum eight-year agreement.
The Qualifying Competition
This will comprise of between eight and 12 teams from Tier 2 countries and Italian clubs as agreed by EPCR & FIRA-AER.
Distribution of funds
This will be equal, i.e a third to Top 14 teams, a third to Premiership Rugby teams and a third to Pro 12 teams, with a guaranteed minimum distribution for the clubs from the Pro12 in years 1-5.
Broadcasters
BT and Sky have reached an agreement in principle concerning arrangements for the European Rugby Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup competitions, both of which would be broadcast jointly by BT Sport and Sky Sports.
The pool matches would be shared equally, both will show two quarter-finals each, one semi-final each and the final would be broadcast by both live. The four-year agreement is subject to contract.
*The nine stakeholders are: Federation Francaise de Rugby (FFR), Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR), The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), Ligue Nationale De Rugby (LNR), Premiership Rugby Ltd (PRL), Regional Rugby Wales Ltd (RRW), The Rugby Football Union (RFU), Scottish Rugby Union PLC (SRU) and The Welsh Rugby Union Ltd (WRU).
The parties take seriously their obligations to ERC and their staff and will ensure an orderly and proper transition to the new association”
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