The quality of rugby union’s competitions is crucial to its future as a professional sport. However, what we are witnessing is gold standard club/provincial competitions being downgraded all the time.
The sparsely watched Super Rugby in the southern hemisphere, and the declining interest in the ring-fenced Premiership, tell the tale. That is why it is a tragedy that the constant chopping and changing with the format of the European Cup is turning it into a tawdry replica of what was not long ago the outstanding club tournament in the world.

Having discovered that the best format was 20/24 c...