Rugby Europe launches competition for emerging nations

TOULOUSE: The governing body for European rugby announced on Wednesday a new competition for domestic sides from emerging nations starting from September.

The Rugby Europe Super Cup organised by Rugby Europe will include eight teams split into two geographical groups. Rugby Europe said they had held talks with European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), who organise the Champions Cup and the second-tier Challenge Cup with sides from six of the continent’s leading countries, about the new competition.

“We have kept EPCR up to speed and informed about this initiative and I think they are fully supportive but I will let them comment,” Rugby Europe CEO Florent Marty said. “We will envision that there is a pathway between the EPCR competition and the Rugby Europe Super Cup with the best team from the Super Cup potentially joining the Challenge Cup. This is something we are discussing with EPCR,” he added. The four teams in the eastern conference are Georgia’s Black Lion, Israel’s Tel-Aviv Heat as well as Russian pair Enisey-STM and Lokomotiv Penza. In the western conference are Belgium’s Brussels Devils, the Netherlands’ Delta, Portugal’s Lusitanos and Castilla y Leon Iberians from Spain.

There is no club from Romaina, whose national side suffered a close loss to Argentina last weekend and have featured in eight of the nine editions of the Rugby World Cup. “Romania will be part of the competition in future cycles,” Marty said.