This is an idea I had recently following on from an uninspiring debut season of the Champions Cup, with the exception of the Toulon and Leinster match, which was pretty incredible.

The proposal is for a new European rugby club tournament, incorporating the top 3 leagues of the northern hemisphere divided into 3 divisions, it will offer competitive matches on a weekly basis. The season will be constructed in such a way as to provide players with regular breaks in the form of weeks off from action and significant time set apart for the international periods in November and the Six Nations tournament. Players would therefore have 22 regular season matches, plus 4 potential autumn internationals and 5 Six Nations matches, a total of 31 matches in a season, not including playoffs, which will hopefully reduce injuries for players with regularly imposed recovery time.

Initially the 3 divisions will be constructed based on equally dividing up the top 12 finishers in the French Top 14, all 12 teams in the English Premiership and the 12 teams of the Pro 12 who represent Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy. The top four teams in each division will be placed into division 1, the second four into division 2 and the third four into division 3, as demonstrated below. Promotion and relegation will also occur between divisions and it is also proposed that the worst placed French and English clubs will compete in a 2 leg playoff match against the top ranked team from the French Pro D2 and the English Championship. This does not therefore seclude the competition from other teams, giving them the aspirational goal to break into the competition. There is also the potential to have the top 4 teams of division 1 competing in a semi-final and grand-final to declare the ultimate champion, although I firmly believe that the top placed finisher in the league structure deserves a trophy to acknowledge that fact also.

Live matches will be offered to all broadcasters with highlights packages from all 3 divisions also available for every matchday.

Division 1

1. Toulon
2. Clermont Av
3. Toulouse
4. Stade Francais
5. Northampton
6. Bath
7. Leicester
8. Exeter
9. Ospreys
10. Glasgow
11. Munster
12. Ulster

Division 2

1. Oyonnax
2. Racing Metro
3. Montpellier
4. Bordeaux Begles
5. Saracens
6. Wasps
7. Sale
8. Harlequins
9. Leinster
10. Scarlets
11. Connacht
12. Edinburgh

Division 3

1. La Rochelle
2. Brive
3. Grenoble
4. Castres
5. Gloucester
6. London Irish
7. Newcastle
8. London Welsh
9. Dragons
10. Cardiff Blues
11. Benneton Treviso
12. Zebre

Schedule example for  2016-2017 season

Matchday 1 – Weekend of 27^th August

Matchday 2 – 3^rd Sept

Matchday 3 – 10^th Sept

Matchday 4 – 17^th Sept

Matchday 5 – 24^th Sept

Matchday 6 – 1^st Oct

Matchday 7 – 8^th Oct

BREAK – 15^th Oct

Matchday 8 – 22^nd Oct

Matchday 9 – 29^th Oct

AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS

5^th November

12^th November

19^th November

26^th November

Matchday 10 – 3^rd Dec

BREAK – 10^th Dec

Matchday 11 – 17^th Dec

Matchday 12 – 24^th Dec

Matchday 13 – 31^st Dec

Matchday 14 – 7^th January 2017

Matchday 15 – 14^th Jan

Matchday 16 – 21^st Jan

BREAK – 28^th Jan

SIX NATIONS 2017

4^th February

11^th February

6 NATIONS BREAK – 18^th February

25^th February

6 NATIONS BREAK – 4^th March

11^th March

18^th March

Matchday 17 – 25^th Mar

Matchday 18 – 1^st Apr

Matchday 19 – 8^th Apr

Matchday 20 – 15^th Apr

Matchday 21 – 21^st Apr

Matchday 22 – 29^th Apr

Division 1 Semi Final and Playoff 1^st Leg – 6^th May

Division 1 Final and Playoff 2^nd Leg – 13^th May