Simon Halliday said that the EPCR has not yet discussed Brexit's impact on the Champions Cup.GETTY IMAGES
Champions Cup organizer European Professional Club Rugby "is expected to raise concerns about the potential impact of Brexit" on this year’s competition with the U.K. government, according to Gavin Mairs of the London TELEGRAPH. There are "mounting fears" that a hard Brexit on March 29, when the U.K. is formally due to leave the European Union, "could cause travel havoc for clubs and supporters in the knockout stages of the tournament." The quarterfinals, which are regarded as the competition’s "most lucrative round," are scheduled to start on the same day as Brexit. EPCR Chair Simon Halliday said, "It is safe to say we haven’t even discussed it yet, which possibly was misplaced optimism. It depends on travel and fans being able to make their way. It has not been raised at any level yet, but I guess now we are going to have to discuss it." He added that it was "impossible to put contingency plans in place, given the lack of flexibility in the fixture list." Halliday: "I don’t see how we can" (TELEGRAPH, 10/2).
