Toulon and former Wales fly-half Dan Biggar has raised concerns about the toll Europe-based players are taking in South Africa at the Investec Champions Cup.
“Last weekend I took a 32-hour flight with my Toulon team-mates to South Africa for the first Champions Cup match of the season,” Biggar wrote in his Daily Mail column.
“It was a grueling journey to Port Elizabeth,” added the 35-year-old, who made 112 appearances for Wales between 2008 and 2023. Biggar details the itinerary for Toulon, which includes a long bus journey and three flights.
“We arrived at 5pm on a Tuesday and the players were so exhausted that we only had one proper training session before the game.”
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The veteran Toulon flyhalf pointed out that the grueling travel schedule over short periods of time leaves players completely exhausted and unable to perform at their best. This is a problem made worse by the Champions Cup format, which sees European clubs travel to the Republic for one match. He believes a two-match visit to Vodacom URC is a more sustainable approach compared to flying halfway around the world for a single game.
Biggar suggested a similar schedule be adopted for the Champions Cup to ease the pressure on players and avoid a situation like last season when teams fielded weaker teams due to travel demands.
Biggar acknowledged the advantages South African teams bring to northern hemisphere competitions, but stressed that these advantages should not come at the expense of player welfare or the quality of the tournament.
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