Club World Cup means SA sides require a different approach

There's no doubt that the Club World Cup could be the boost rugby union needs.

Viewing figures for last Saturday's Champions Cup final between Bordeaux-Begles and Northampton Saints were nowhere near where they should have been. The attendance in Cardiff of 70,225 - the highest for a final since 2011/12 - is no mean feat, but that still left 4,000 empty seats at the Principality Stadium.

It was reported on BBC's 'Rugby Union Weekly' podcast this week that the Champions Cup final - club rugby's showpiece event - received a tenth of the ratings of last season's Premiership final between Bath and Northampton.

Having the competition broadcasted on Premier Sports in the UK hasn't helped the competition, with rugby fans forced to invest in yet another subscription in order to watch a different tournament. But the reason the EPCR competitions fell into Premier Sports' lap was simply due to a lack of interest elsewhere from other broadcasters, and the Irish company ended up acquiring the rights for a steal of £6 million.

The news broke this week from EPCR that the inaugural Club World Cup will be contested in 2028.

Sixteen teams will take part, eight qualifying through the Investec Champions Cup and the remainder from Super Rugby Pacific (7) and Japan (1).

Saffer teams need to buck their ideas up

If the tournament took place today, there would be no involvement from South African franchises following another dismal showing in the Champions Cup.

Their involvement in Europe's elite competition has proven to be nothing more than a disaster, but now there's the added carrot of qualifying for the new showpiece club tournament, their approach towards the Champions Cup will surely change.

Having joined the URC in 2021, the Sharks, Stormers, Bulls and Lions have endured ridiculous travelling, competing on two fronts across hemispheres.

They have largely operated with second- or third-string teams when playing away from home, and the proof is in the pudding that SA's priority is the URC shown in the number of empty seats.

South Africa had zero teams in the Champions Cup last 16 this season, while the Bulls reached the last eight last term - enough to seal a spot in the Club World Cup - but they were chewed up and spat out by Northampton at Franklin's Gardens after fielding a weakened team. It was an ugly look for the competition...

Tournament regulations don't help them

South African teams are not permitted to host a semi-final, therefore, it's clear that the odds are stacked against them.

This could be why Saffer teams are prioritising the URC, but in fairness, their involvement in the Champions Cup creates logistical nightmares for the tournament organisers and visiting teams, given the cost and practicalities of an expensive 11-hour flight.

There's a serious commercial boost that SA brings

South Africa possesses arguably the biggest rugby market globally. The back-to-back World Cup winners have seen a drastic rise in brand strength and private equity interest since their William Webb Ellis triumphs.

Their addition to the old Pro 14 has seen the tournament harness new life as the URC, with television deals exploding and interest levels drastically increasing.

South Africa’s move to URC has also shaken up the tournament status quo after Irish teams dominated the Pro 14, winning it 14 times – eight by Leinster, four by Munster and one each for Connacht and Ulster.

South African teams scored the top spots in URC viewership numbers. The 2023–24 URC final between the Bulls and Glasgow Warriors on 22 June 2024 attracted 610,977 unique viewers. Other top games included the Bulls vs Leinster (474,250 viewers) and the Bulls vs the Stormers (453,735 viewers).

“Our broadcast audience is up 49% globally, and in the UK and Ireland it is up 24%,” said URC chief executive Martin Anayi.

"Attendances are up 67% on last year’s record accumulative audience. Social media is also up, and we are fourth globally on YouTube when it comes to rugby competitions. That includes the NRL. What it shows is there are more eyeballs on the URC, and as a result of that, more eyeballs on our clubs and individual brands."

World Rugby will crave South African involvement in their Club World Cup and vice versa.