The Champions Cup, a major rugby competition across Europe, is facing potential changes that could reduce the number of participating teams from 24 to 16. This proposal is now backed by French clubs, with Yann Roubert, president of the LNR (the French rugby governing body), publicly supporting the idea. He envisions a more concentrated European Cup, featuring only matches of very high quality. Currently, the competition includes eight clubs from France’s Top 14 league, eight from England’s Premiership, and eight from the United Rugby Championship (URC). According to a report in The Telegraph, the English proposal goes even further, suggesting the elimination of the group stage entirely. Instead, the competition would begin with a knockout round of 16, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final. While Roubert supports the concept of a 16-team format, it is unclear whether there is full agreement among French clubs on the specific mechanisms. The proposal still needs to be finalized within the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), the organization overseeing the Champions Cup. The current format for the 2026-2027 season illustrates the ongoing debate. Under the existing plan, the 24 teams are split into four groups of six, with each club playing four matches. The top teams from each group then advance to the round of 16. This means only eight teams are eliminated after the group stage. The EPCR currently schedules eight weekends for the competition, starting on October 16 and ending with the final in Lyon on May 22, 2027. Reducing the number of teams could increase the value of domestic league rankings. Roubert suggests that a 16-team competition might include five or six French clubs, compared to the current eight. For France’s Top 14 league, this could mean two or three fewer European spots, depending on the final format. In a league where the fight for the top six often continues until June, losing matches during the winter could have significant consequences. The LNR’s proposal aims to bring together the strongest clubs to raise the overall quality of matches. With a 16-team format and a knockout stage from the start, teams would not have to wait until January to find out if a win is enough to stay in the competition. This would shift the focus from a stage where two-thirds of the teams survive to a competition centered on direct confrontations, reminiscent of traditional continental rugby battles, with two matches to settle the outcome. However, there are costs to this change. France would lose several representatives, and the distribution of teams to the Challenge Cup, a secondary competition, would need rethinking. The inclusion of South African teams in EPCR competitions since 2022 adds another layer of complexity. While no South African team has reached a Champions Cup semifinal yet, the Sharks won the Challenge Cup in 2024. Roubert says their future must also be considered in discussions about the next European cycle. The current format of the Champions Cup is set to remain in place until 2030, and the EPCR has not yet commented on the proposal revealed by The Telegraph. Roubert wants to initiate discussions with English and URC representatives. While teams are preparing for their group matches, executives are already imagining a future in Europe where these group stages may soon become a thing of the past.