According to sources informed by ESPN, plans are being made for a rugby Club World Cup that will feature the top club sides from both the northern and southern hemispheres. The tournament is scheduled to debut in 2028 and will include the top eight teams from the European Rugby Champions Cup, which now includes South African teams, as well as six Super Rugby teams and two additional teams, likely from Japan.
The introduction of the Club World Cup is expected to have a significant impact on the global rugby calendar, affecting the structure of the Champions Cup. The top eight teams in the competition will qualify for the Club World Cup, while the remaining eight teams will compete in the Challenge Cup.
Ideally, the Club World Cup will take place in June, which means that the English Premiership, French Top 14, United Rugby Championship, and Super Rugby competitions will need to be completed before the tournament begins. The competition will then be played before the mid-year international window in July.
With a projected start date of 2028, the Club World Cup will be held in years following the Rugby World Cup and in between British and Irish Lions tours, which take place every four years. La Rochelle emerged as
