Franco Smith warns Champions Cup revamp risks leaving URC clubs financially behind

Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith has spoken out against a rumoured restructuring of the European Champions Cup, warning that shrinking the field from 24 to 16 teams would widen the financial gap between URC clubs and their wealthier French and English counterparts.

The proposal gained momentum this week when Yann Roubert, president of France’s Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), said officials were exploring ways to make the tournament “maybe a bit more selective, elitist.” Reports suggest the revised format would allocate five places each to the English Premiership, Top 14 and URC, with one additional berth for the reigning champion — a structure that had previously been floated by English clubs frustrated by lopsided group-stage results.

Smith, whose Glasgow side have reached the quarter-finals in each of the past two seasons, acknowledged the change could raise the standard of early-round matches, but said he found it “strange” that officials were considering altering a format he believes already works well.

“The competition structure must be worthwhile and must deliver the best product — that is why it is the Champions Cup,” Smith said. “The challenge will also be for clubs with lesser budgets to maintain the quality of the squads they have if they want to compete in that competition. There is a lot of extra income involved if you are part of the Champions Cup that allows you to carry a different squad during the season.”

Smith argued that a smaller draw would disproportionately benefit the financially strongest clubs, particularly those from France. “The stronger teams, the strongest teams financially in the competition, whether that be the French or whoever, will have a benefit if there are fewer teams — from a commercial value first,” he said. “Obviously you fill out stadiums if you have Toulouse come and play at Scotstoun.”

He warned the knock-on effect could be self-reinforcing: fewer Champions Cup appearances mean less revenue for URC clubs, which in turn reduces their ability to build squads capable of qualifying in future seasons.

Despite his reservations about the proposed changes, Smith has immediate European business to focus on. Glasgow open their Champions Cup campaign with a trip to Sale Sharks — the same opening fixture as last season, when a 26-21 away win launched a perfect pool stage that included bonus-point victories over Toulouse, Clermont and Saracens. That run gave the Warriors a potential home route to the final, but they were eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Toulon at Scotstoun.