In another letter to the editor as we continue to encourage our readers to send CRAIG LEWIS submissions, Kevin de Lorme suggests the best need to play the best in a cross-hemisphere club tournament.

CALLING OUR READERS: Send your rugby letter to the editor

During this lockdown we’ve got time to think, write letters and dream of days when we could still watch live rugby. If someone told me that Laerskool Pitsonderwater U11D team was playing I’d most certainly be watching. But unfortunately there is no rugby at the moment and all I can do is ponder where the future of the sport we love so much lies.

The future of rugby most definitely lies in a changing of the old and introduction of the new. I mean seriously, there will be haters but I can’t help but say ‘Hey cool tournaments but didn’t you do that last year? And the year before? And the year before…’ You get the picture: same old, same old.

Then we ask ourselves well then what would be new? What should we change? Let’s begin by asking what want? We want to see the best vs the best, the best vs the best in different conditions and who doesn’t love the inclusion of some against the odds upsets.

As it stands we don’t have that. We just have loud mouth supporters and teams from either hemisphere claiming to be champs. So what could a solution be?

Simple club solution: Southern Hemisphere four pools, four teams, same in the Northern Hemisphere: four pools, four teams. Each team plays one game against the other teams in their pool, total: three games.

Each pool has a top two, the top two from every pool in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere combines to make four pools.

This could consist of two Southern Hemisphere and two Northern Hemisphere teams in a pool, each team plays once. Top two teams from each pool progress to quarters, semis and then a grand final.

Then let’s have a Club World Cup every year! Best vs the best, Northern hemisphere conditions and Southern hemisphere conditions, definite chances of upsets.

And what about layer load you may ask? Barely any, much fewer club games and since the club season will be shorter it opens a window for many more international games.

Will this work? I don’t know. Would it be awesome to see and worth top dollar, most definitely.

– Kevin de Lorme