City PM debate: Should the Middle East host Champions cup rugby?
And while there was general disdain towards the idea from fans, a significant proportion of that was directed towards the idea of the Middle East – and Saudi Arabia in particular.
Here City PM have asked two people who fall on different sides of the debate.
Whose side are you on?
The Middle East is a sports hub…
“The Middle East is fast becoming a global sports hub,” Alexey Milovanov, an expert who was involved in delivering the 2022 men’s Fifa World Cup, said.
“It has already proven it is more than capable of organising and hosting major sporting events, including football, motorsport, and of course, rugby. The annual Dubai 7s rugby tournament has helped to introduce the sport to a whole new area of the world.
“But it’s no secret that rugby union has lost interest over the last decade. ECPR and other rugby bodies should see the Middle Eastern competition bid as a big opportunity to generate interest in the sport in new countries.
“Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund recently acquired the World Padel Tour, sparking significant domestic interest in padel tennis. A similar scenario could unfold in golf with the merger of LIV and PGA. I think a Middle Eastern Champions Cup could be a huge turning point for the sport.
“The Middle East is the perfect place to host the next Champions Cup. Compared with Europe and the United States, the continent is relatively new to hosting large sporting events, which means that every tournament is essentially a blank canvas to create something totally unique.
“I’m confident that no expense would be spared in creating a memorable Champions Cup final – the Saudi, Qatari and Emirati governments are extremely willing to back significant sporting infrastructure projects at the moment, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
“There are lots of benefits for the fans, too. Riyadh, Dubai, and Doha, in particular, are home to fantastic transport and infrastructure links, entertainment venues, hotels and restaurants. And geographically, the Middle East is extremely central and well-connected for European fans travelling to the final.”
Don’t forget about rugby!
“The talk of moving the Champions Cup final to the Middle East is in keeping with the trend of high profile sporting events heading that way. It feels like a bit of flirtation from the ERCP to say “Don’t forget about us”,” Ged Colleypriest, presenter of the Attacking Scrum Welsh Rugby podcast, argued.
“Of course rugby is seeking investment and that could come from the Gulf states. However, sorting out the format of the tournament should come first.
“We’ve seen it chop and change since the Covid-19 disruption taking on a number of different guises.
“With each year that passes it becomes more confusing for fans to understand and buy into. The change in scheduling, teams playing in a notional conference system, the fact it’s harder not to qualify all makes for a more diluted and confusing product.
“This is topped by the inclusion of the South African teams, who are brilliant from a rugby perspective but it makes it harder to market the competition as European, plus the logistical nightmares this brings.
“Would fans follow the tournament to Dubai or Abu Dhabi, I think some would.
“We saw lots of Munster fans head to South Africa for the URC final. But once you get to SA, the tickets were cheap and the food and drink was too. Can the same be said for Qatar or Riyadh?
“In the short term it may get some more money into the game but rugby as a sport has to think about how it grows. I’m not sure hosting a European final in the Middle East answers that.”