No World club championship before 2016
The showdown between the best clubs from Europe and the southern hemisphere that many fans have been yearning for might not be that far away.
Crusaders v Toulouse? Bulls v Liecester? Leinster v Reds? Supporters from both sides of the equator have long dreamed of the day when we would be treated to a clash between the Heineken Cup and Super Rugby champions.
Well, Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty believes a world club championship could be introduced within the next five years.
Of course the biggest hurdle in setting up such an event is the current structure of the opposing seasons but McCafferty believes a North v South showdown is almost an inevitability.
"The national championship is something to treasure and Europe is very successful," he said.
"Ideally we would like to bolt on top of that an international club event, something that answers the question 'who is top dog?'
"Is it the Crusaders? Is it the Bulls? Is it Toulouse, Leinster or Saracens?
"That would be such a compelling event that sooner or later it will have to happen because people would love to see it.
"Club rugby at its best now is every bit as entertaining and enthralling, if not more so, than international rugby.
"Season structure is the biggest issue. We have had plenty of indications from our partners and from a TV point of view it would work.
"It won't happen before 2015, before the World Cup. There is a possibility it might happen after 2015. It is a matter of the stars coming into alignment to make something possible."
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2...415951,00.html
