The Champions Cup is no longer fit for purpose - here's my plan to save it including 'less is more', a proper TV deal and waving goodbye to the South African teams, writes NIK SIMON

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The credibility of the Champions Cup took another hit with the latest round of pool stage blowouts.

Out of a dozen fixtures last weekend, only a couple carried the weight you would expect from Europe’s premier club competition.

Glasgow’s comeback from 21-0 down to beat six-time champions Toulouse was an instant classic, while Bath’s attempt to win in Toulon provided a heavyweight contest. 

But the sort of 10-try demolition job we saw at Harlequins in their trouncing of Bayonne is no good for anyone, nor the other two wins for English clubs on Sunday - Northampton 50 Bulls 5 and Bristol 61 Pau 12.

It has reached the point where even the players are complaining about the competition. Toulouse’s Thomas Ramos slammed clubs for not taking it seriously enough.

In order to restore it to its former glories, here is a four-point plan to give the competition an instant shake-up...

Bristol's demolition of Pau on Sunday was a big confidence booster - but these mismatches are exactly what is wrong with the Champions Cup

Toulouse full-back Thomas Ramos (right) has called out teams for not trying hard enough in what is ostensibly Europe's premier club competition

SHRINK THE POOL STAGES

The 24-team format is bloated. Too many teams are being given a free ticket into the competition, meaning the pool stages are clogged up with sides who have no realistic chance of winning the tournament.

The current pool structure is difficult to follow and lacks jeopardy. Last season, Ulster qualified for the last 16 after winning just one game from four in the pool stages, while Northampton - who went all the way to the Champions Cup final - qualified for this season's tournament by finishing eighth of 10 in the Premiership, an absurdly low barrier for entry.

Teams can afford to field weakened XVs on away fixtures and still progress, resulting in blowout scorelines when clubs rotate their frontline players.

As Ramos said: ‘There are 24 teams in the competition, but if you count how many play it properly, I think you can count them on your two hands. Obviously it's problematic.’

Four pools of three is one solution. It takes in the top four teams from the URC, Top 14 and the PREM. It brings together the true elite and injects instant jeopardy. Each club plays one home game and one away game in the pool stages, which can be decided through a draw or seeding.

Sometimes less is more and this would provide all clubs with a rest weekend. The top two teams from each pool progress straight into the quarter final - removing the round of 16 and further reducing the strain on the busy playing calendar.

Last season's runners-up Northampton qualified for this year's competition despite finishing eighth in the Premiership

TV COVERAGE

This is case-by-case for each region but there is no doubt the profile of the Champions Cup has struggled since it was taken on by Premier Sports and away from TNT Sports, who have the Premiership rights. The subscription channel offers a good rugby package including French, American and Japanese club rugby, but it is not a mass market.

Tournament chiefs need to think carefully about their next move. They need to balance their Premier Sports coverage with a regular free-to-air slot, or do their best to entice Sky Sports or TNT back to the negotiating table.

ITV’s bid to take on all of England’s international fixtures until 2029 has been greeted with open arms and the club game must take note to broaden its appeal.

Challenge Cup fixtures should also return to a broadcast slot on Thursday evenings, to give the secondary competition more airtime. Ultimately, a better product on the pitch should lead to a better broadcast deal.

BYE BYE, BOKS 

Everybody loves seeing the likes of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Siya Kolisi, but the South African inclusion in a European Cup does not work.

Teams are not happy with the long-haul travel and it opens up the door to squad rotation. The trips are too expensive for supporters - particularly to watch a second-string team - and coverage is thin.

It is a long way from fruition but authorities should be aspiring to build their own competition within Africa. Tapping into the Namibian market could be a starting point, while Zimbabwe have qualified for the next World Cup. Kenya have always had a strong rugby pedigree - if more in sevens - and Algeria, Madagascar, Senegal, Tunisia and Uganda are also in the world's top 50 and climbing.

Until that time, the qualifiers for the Champions Cup from the United Rugby Championship should be exclusively Scottish, Welsh, Irish and Italian.

Springbok superstar and captain Siya Kolisi (bottom) scored in a win for the Sharks against Saracens last weekend - but it was a weakened Sarries side in Durban

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is a joy to watch - but the inclusion of his club side in the Champions Cup comes at a cost for the competition

KICK OFF BEFORE THE AUTUMN

The club/country fixture clashes have now become club/rest period clashes.

There is no rhythm to the fixture list after the autumn internationals. Clubs play one round of domestic games before moving into the Champions Cup, which often means rugby’s elite competition is used as a weekend to give international players their mandatory rest period. The result is an opening round of mismatch fixtures.

Instead, kick off the competition before the autumn series. By reducing the number of teams and the number of fixtures, there will be a greater emphasis on player welfare. 

This gives clubs no excuses for rotating their squads.