AFTER nearly three years in the planning the South African Rugby Union yesterday unveiled the new domestic national club competition, to be named the Community Cup.

The tournament will feature the top 20 clubs from around the country in a televised tournament that will replace the old National Club Championships.

The format will be identical to that of the Rugby World Cup and will culminate in a grand final, with the winner going on to meet the winner of the annual Varsity Cup competition.

The 20 clubs will be made up of the 14 champion clubs of the provincial unions, with a further six wild card teams invited by Saru. The clubs will be divided into four pools of five, with each club playing two home and two away matches over a period of five weeks.

The top two clubs from each pool will then advance to the knockout stages, with the eight teams playing quarterfinals, semifinals and finals each year at a central venue over the Easter long weekend.