One of rugby’s oldest and most tantalising questions – whether the northern or southern hemisphere is stronger – could be finally answered in 2028, as plans to hold the first rugby Club World Championship moved a step closer.
The competition would consist of 16 teams, including the eight Champions Cup quarter-finalists, the top seven finishers in Super Rugby and one team from Japan, taking place every four years, most likely in June.
The Times has reported that following discussions in Cardiff, the European Professional Club Rugby board has approved the concept. It has been proposed that there would be four pools of four teams leading to a semi-final and a final.
However, sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly said Super Rugby had not confirmed its participation in the competition, although discussions remain ongoing.
According to reports in Europe, the first competition in 2028 would replace the knockout stages of the Champions Cup, while the Premiership in England, the United Rugby Championship and France’s Top 14 have agreed to move their domestic finals forward to allow the inaugural Club World Championship to take place.
Super Rugby stars suchas Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii could be taking on the likes of Toulouse and Leinster by 2028.Credit: Getty Images
The proposed competition would present several barriers for Super Rugby teams, given the competition’s finals series runs from June 7 until the final on June 21.
To accommodate the world club competition, Super Rugby clubs would potentially have to start their season by late January, dealing with heat and humidity in Australia and Fiji, while also competing with the Australian Open tennis and cricket season.
The other options available would be replacing the Super Rugby finals series every four years, or shortening the regular season by three rounds to accommodate finals in 2028.
The latter proposal would also need to be worked through with Nine Entertainment, given the broadcaster recently signed a five-year deal from 2026-2030 to show all 16 rounds of Super Rugby fixtures on Channel Nine and subscription streaming service Stan Sport.
Super Rugby teams would also need to be compensated for a shortened season, given the importance of match-day revenue for their survival.
Given the congested nature of the existing rugby calendar, with contracted Wallabies not due to return from their break after the 2027 World Cup until the middle of January, Super Rugby teams could be left with weakened teams to start their season in 2028.
The concept of who has the best club team in world rugby is not new. In 1997, European champions Brive took on Super 12 Champions the Blues in a one-off fixture, with New Zealanders defeating their French opponents 47-11.
