Reports in this morning’s media suggest that the final confirmation of the ‘new’ Heineken Cup has been delayed again, but that it is only minor areas involving French and Italian clubs that remain to be ironed out.
The stories, across Irish and English media confirm what Sport for Business reported some weeks ago that there will be a multi sponsor model in place for the Champions’ Cup will now be run by a new European Professional Rugby Cup Limited based in Switzerland.
No arrangements have yet been made for staffing and it may be that interim appointments are needed in order to get the project moving as fast as it needs to given the delays.
The TV rights appear to have been sorted with each of BT Sport and Sky Sports getting first pick on three of the group rounds, the former involving a team from the English Premier League and the latter involving a team from the Irish, French, Welsh, Scottish or Italian competing teams.
Terrestrial TV
Secondary and highlights packages that would bring in terrestrial TV broadcasters have yet to be determined.
There will be 20 teams in the top tier competition, with seven coming from the RaboDirect Pro 12. On a strict reading of the table that would mean Edinburgh and Connacht, currently locked together on 34 points, battling it out for a final place in the big time.
Unfortunately for them it still appears that each of the Unions will be guaranteed one place meaning that Treviso would overtake them both, despite being seven points behind in the table.
Leinster, Munster and Ulster will be assured of a place based on the current standings. Wasps and Gloucester will have a nervous end to the season in England while the same will be true of Toulouse, Racing Metro and Stade Francais in the French Top 14.
If the multi tier sponsorship model and increased TV rights comes through at expected market rates it could be that the commercial income for each of the provinces could rise from less than €10 million in 2014 to more than double that from next season on.
