The organisers of the Heineken Cup have announced several changes to the structure of the tournament for next season after consulting with clubs, Unions, sponsors and broadcasters. The opening two rounds of the competition have been moved from September to the second and third weeks of October and rounds three and four will now take place in December.
The pool stages will still be completed in January but a significant change will see the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final all taking place after the completion of the Six Nationsl championship. A decision was also taken to build in a one-week gap before and after internationals in consideration of the demands on players.
"By separating the Pool stages from the knock-out phase it means we can now focus on two distinct phases of the tournament and develop momentum for each phase. It also means more clubs will be involved for a longer period in the tournament, therefore maintaining a wider interest in the competition," explained ERC chairman Jean-Pierre Lux.
"We did consider a six-week block for the Pool stages, as well as a proposal for two blocks of three matches but, in the end, three groups of two games received more support. ERC feels that by having blocks of two matches of the tournament allows the clubs to promote key home and away fixtures in three significant rugby months," he added.
The format of the Parker Pen Shield for next season was also discussed and the board resolved to develop the concept of a knock-out format for the competition for next season. There will be a special meeting of the ERC rugby sub-committee in the near future to further discuss the matter and table plans.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
