In the Times today it said that Ireland would got 5.1 million as would Wales and Scotland with Italy getting 4.7 million. So can someone explain to me why the Scottish got 5.1 million while only having 2 team in the Rabo? Surely they should get the same as the Italians?

That really sticks in my gullet as well MTD.

That said I am happy that the Pro12 is now qualifying on league position for the majority, so that Connacht can get into the HEC without knocking another province out.

I'm hoping that the new Cup will be even better!

But the background to its creation has left a very bitter taste, tbh, and all of it motivated by cash, cash, cash.

pinky wrote: <li>So is it the same actual Cup or what? I'd like to maintain at least that level of continuity.</li>
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The current one has Heineken engraved on it so no. I'm a bit angry about all this but I don't know if it's because the best cup competition in the world is now finished forever or because the English and French got pretty much everything they wanted by bullying and ransom tactics.

salmson wrote: Pro12 teams not in playoff mostly due to lack of dates - Europe will be done and dusted in April next year; rumour is that the 3 league champions will be seeded apart; otherwise the only constraints will be geographic, no Irish/Welsh/Scottish/Italian teams in the same pool, no more than 2 French or English teams in each pool, every league to be represented in every pool.

But there is mention of a possible two-legged playoff this season, so dates can't be the issue. I thought it might be something to do with playoff dates not lining up between the 3 leagues this season, but I checked and the semi finals and final are the same weekends in all 3 leagues, so that's the dates sorted.
If anything I thought it would be the other way around, they'd throw us a bone the first year and then shaft us ...

Fourdogs wrote:

rossie wrote: Heads of agreement signed today and overview of new competitions published on RFU website.

Enjoy.

Not much wiser after having read this. Generally what was expected / speculated upon.

5 pools of 4 teams in each, so really want to see how they seed them.

With my Munster hat on the seeding issue is a major concern. Especially when you throw the Italian team into the equation. I wouldn't mind but it was the PRL in conjunction with ERC came up with current system due to French not scratching themselves in group stages.
From a Connacht perspective its nearly all good. You are in charge of your own destiny for the first time and if you don't qualify the challenge cup is now far more attractive that it was and also more winnable with no teams dropping down. The only downside is travelling in may for a qualifier if you don't finish 6th. But then again what have you been doing in may for the last 10yrs?

Pro12 teams not in playoff mostly due to lack of dates - Europe will be done and dusted in April next year; rumour is that the 3 league champions will be seeded apart; otherwise the only constraints will be geographic, no Irish/Welsh/Scottish/Italian teams in the same pool, no more than 2 French or English teams in each pool, every league to be represented in every pool.

rossie wrote: Heads of agreement signed today and overview of new competitions published on RFU website.

Enjoy.

Not much wiser after having read this. Generally what was expected / speculated upon.

5 pools of 4 teams in each, so really want to see how they seed them.

Not much more detail in the announcement but confirms a few things.

• The name is utterly childish. We're not keeping the old name cos we don't like the organisation but we can't have our own name so we'll go with a ridiculous hybrid. Then inclusion of the word Champions is pretty ridiculous since only 3 of the 20 teams will qualify by being champions of anything. I assume we will just call it the European Cup.
• I don't understand why there is a difference in the playoffs between this season and subsequent seasons, especially since they haven't even decided if the Anglo-French playoff will be one or two games.
• It's daft excluding the Challenge Cup winners for this season, though it's probably a moot point as it's looking like the winner will be top 7 at least in Premiership
• Travelling away to a playoff will be tough, so we'd better start getting into the top 6. That said, a trip to Bordeaux in May could be winnable (and quite pleasant to boot)
• No word on the seeding system or the semi-final draw situation (that was the one big flaw of the H Cup)
• So is it the same actual Cup or what? I'd like to maintain at least that level of continuity.

The IMF wrote: <strong>“BT and Sky have reached an agreement in principle concerning arrangements for the European Rugby Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup competitions, both of which would be broadcast jointly by BT Sport and Sky Sports.”</strong>

The TV rights is one of the things I can't get my head around. Sky signed rights to a competition that as of the end of the season will no longer exist and BT signed a contract exclusively with Prem. Rugby for rights to a competition that has never existed.

So even if the BT deal is extended to the other European rugby stakeholders, technically we still have two void contracts on the table in that the new tournament has only been officially announced today.

With the European football rights being sold off for an unprecedented sum of money (exclusively to BT) and the Qatari money in la T14, bearing in mind Prem. Rugby's primary criticism of the ERC for being commercially naive. To my mind the situation creates at least enough justification for the new rights to be tendered separately from scratch.

Just a guess but both ERC and PRL would probably have been in breach of contract as I'm sure there were clauses preventing the setting up of other tournaments.

“BT and Sky have reached an agreement in principle concerning arrangements for the European Rugby Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup competitions, both of which would be broadcast jointly by BT Sport and Sky Sports.”

The TV rights is one of the things I can't get my head around. Sky signed rights to a competition that as of the end of the season will no longer exist and BT signed a contract exclusively with Prem. Rugby for rights to a competition that has never existed.

So even if the BT deal is extended to the other European rugby stakeholders, technically we still have two void contracts on the table in that the new tournament has only been officially announced today.

With the European football rights being sold off for an unprecedented sum of money (exclusively to BT) and the Qatari money in la T14, bearing in mind Prem. Rugby's primary criticism of the ERC for being commercially naive. To my mind the situation creates at least enough justification for the new rights to be tendered separately from scratch.

Heads of agreement signed today and overview of new competitions published on RFU website.

Enjoy.

When it's put down like that, I'm amazed that everyone hasn't seen a copy of the BT deal! Putting trust in one of your fellow stakeholders is all well and good, but not when they've been trying to stick the knife in for the last two years.

There will be no announcement this week either. FIR are demanding same share as rest of pro12. Meeting of Celtic rugby scheduled for Friday to resolve it. Apparently they only get 4.7m of first 20m while rest get 5.1m each. In addition they want a copy of the prl tv deal with BT to study before signing anything. FFR were demanding similar last week but no mention of that today.

Official announcement delayed until tomorrow. Still with the lawyers apparently.

Interesting article up on telegraph website about the commercial possibilities of new tournament.