Leinster's latest success in the Heineken Cup has thrown up the discussion once again as to whether an international club tournament would be feasible for rugby union?
There's growing opinion that the club game in the northern hemisphere is now on a comparative par with the southern hemisphere (albeit the game is often played with different philosophies) and any fixture set up between, say, the Heineken Cup winners and the Super 15 champions would be a far closer affair than in years gone by. Has this opinion been inflated by the success of a single team in Leinster and their domination in the Heineken Cup in the last 4 years? Perhaps, but I feel the discussion still needs to be had.
There are a lot of speculative opinions about which hemisphere produces the best rugby and best teams but these tend to be based purely on how the national teams compare against each other when they meet. There is rarely an opportunity for clubs form various leagues or hemispheres to play each other.
Leinster lift their 3rd Heineken Cup in 4 years
I think the performances of the various international teams skews the actual quality of rugby in that country. Take Ireland. With the players they have had at their disposal for over 10 years now, it could be argued that they have underachieved. One RBS 6 Nations title (and grand slam) in 2009 and a handful of triple crowns is scant reward for their talent and their displays in the last 3 rugby world cups have been under par to say the least. Compare that to the success of their domestic sides, particularly Leinster and Munster and even the latest revival of Ulster. The former two have dominated European competition in the last 6 or 7 years and are predominantly made up of the same players that make up the Irish national side. Can the difference really be the extra foreign players and coaches in those squads?
That's what former All Black scrum half Justin Marshall claims, commenting this week that Leinsters success was down to the New Zealand influence of the likes of second row Brad Thorn and coach Joe Schmidt. Opinions like this may not be swayed regardless of whether a northern hemisphere club takes on a southern hemisphere club. It seems to me that people like Marshall see the international game as the most accurate barometer of a nation's place in world rugby's pecking order and test series like the upcoming Irish tour to New Zealand will really show how far the Irish have come.
It's a perfectly valid opinion, and one I subscribe to to a point. Maybe it's less about inidividual nations and more about the north-south divide. Could a club championship or even a one off fixture at least help settle the age old argument of which hemisphere has supremacy?
There is of course precedent. Both football and rugby league have world club championships, Barcelona and Leeds Rhinos currently holding the respective titles demonstrating that the European game is stronger than anywhere else. Could it work for rugby union?
The most obvious question and potential stumbling block would be when to hold such a tournament. The year is so congested between league, cup and international schedules and the overlap between hemispheres means there are few opportunities if any for something to happen.
In football, those clubs in Europe taking part are required to postpone 2 or 3 of their regular league fixtures around January in order to accommodate their playing in the world club championship. I suspect something would have to give, and it would be for the likes of the ERC and Super Rugby to thrash out a timetable.
Another interesting question would be where to host such a tournament. On neutral ground, like football, or alternating between the grounds belonging to each participating league year to year like rugby league? There are conflicting ideas on this. Neutral ground, say Hong Kong, would provide a fantastic setting but would detract many fans from attending given the distances involved to travel. Hosting it at or near the home of one of the participating teams would clearly lend a bias to that team but could be evened out over the course of a few years as the tournament moves around the globe.
I think all of us would love to see the likes of Leinster take on the Crusaders in a one-off tournament. I can only see it being a good thing for the promotion of rugby around the world and although it would only be a select number of teams who will likely contest in such a tournament, it would at least raise the profile of 'club' rugby for those many who only tend to follow the international game.
What do you think? Is there a place for a tournament like this or is it an unnecessary burden on an already packed world rugby schedule?
I think the Super 15 would mash the Norther Hemisphere teams into the grass! No matter what the recent results might suggest Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere is a way of life and is engrained in the blood of those who play it! If we northerner get better, the southerners have the appetite and the god given ability to improve themselves to stay well ahead of us physically and technically. NO MATCH!
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