Negotiations conducted by the interested parties have paved the way for the organization of a Rugby Club World Cup, which will bring together the top sixteen teams from the Southern and Northern Hemispheres, starting in 2028, as announced by international media, cited by Reuters.
However, in order to accommodate this quadrennial tournament, modifications to the schedules of leagues in Europe and Australasia are necessary. The desire to make it work has led to agreed adjustments to create a four-week window in June, according to information released on Tuesday.
The top eight teams from the European Champions Cup, a competition that also includes South African teams, are expected to qualify for the Club World Cup, alongside the best six teams from Super Rugby Pacific, plus two other clubs, likely from Japan.
The qualification would be merit-based, the sources claim, which means that some major nations in the oval ball sport may not have any representatives if their teams do not perform well.