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5d ago

Rugby’s First Club World Championship Officially Set for 2028

The 16-team global tournament, approved by the EPCR board, will replace Champions Cup knockouts every four years and debut in Europe at the end of the 2027-28 season.

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The likes of Bath and Leinster could take on the best of the southern hemisphere
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Overview

  • The European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) board finalized plans for the inaugural Club World Championship during a meeting in Cardiff on May 23, 2025.
  • The tournament will feature 16 teams: eight Champions Cup quarter-finalists, seven top Super Rugby Pacific teams, and one invited Japanese club.
  • The first edition will be held in Europe, with matches proposed to follow a format of four pools leading to semi-finals and a final.
  • Major domestic leagues, including the Premiership, Top 14, United Rugby Championship, and Super Rugby Pacific, will adjust their schedules to accommodate the event.
  • The competition will take place between rescheduled domestic finals and the summer leg of the Nations Cup, aligning with broader rugby calendar reforms.