European Challenge Cup

Grenoble coach slams Challenge Cup

ESPN Staff

Bernard Jackman in his playing days © Getty Images Enlarge

Grenoble coach Bernard Jackman has slammed the European Challenge Cup, describing the competition as "pointless" ahead of his side's match against Rovigo from Italy.

Top 14 coaches see the competition as an opportunity to rest first-choice players and Jackman believes the competition is unsustainable in its current format.

"The Challenge Cup, from my point of view, is a bit of a pointless competition in terms of your first-grade players," said the former Connacht and Leinster front rower. "There is no real benefit for us unless we go and win it. And, even if we do, we wouldn't be guaranteed a place in the Champions Cup for next year.

"The best scenario for us if we want to get in the Champions Cup is to finish in the top six in the Top 14, and that's obviously a huge ask. Certainly, the only way we could possibly look at that is by managing our resources smartly, and giving our first-grade players six weeks off during the Challenge Cup.

"It's great for the second-tier to get an opportunity to play the big sides from the Aviva Premiership and the Top 14, but I just don't see it being sustainable in its current format. I think the organisers have probably got a bit of a shock from how little interest the French teams have had in it.

"And the public as well. The minimum crowd we would get for a Top 14 game is 14,000. For London Irish we got 4,500. The public aren't silly and you can't pull the wool over their eyes: they see it for what it is."

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