Queensland head coach Les Kiss has thrown his weight behind a touted Club World Cup, as the concept moved closer to sign-off.

Reports surfaced overnight that the creation of the Club World Cup moved one giant step closer after European executives signed an initial agreement to start the competition in 2028.

The muted competition isn’t a new concept, but hitherto European heavyweights have put roadblocks up to get the tournament up and running.

That has seemingly changed in recent months though, with the Investec Champions Cup, European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), the northern hemisphere and South African clubs agreeing on key principles with their southern hemisphere counterparts so it can begin in four years’ time.

One of the challenges in getting the tournament up and running is the packed domestic and international calendar.

But insiders suggest the Investec Champions Cup would do away with the latter stages of the competition every four years to accommodate the Club World Cup.

Instead, rather than there being a champion that season, the quarter-finalists would qualify for the Club World Cup.

The top eight would play against the six top-ranked Super Rugby Pacific teams, with another two sides, firming to be from Japan, to make up the 16-team competition.

The competition would take place over a four-week period in June, with a round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final.

Competitions across the globe, including the Gallagher Premiership, Top 14 and United Rugby Championship, would finish in May to make room for the competition under the proposed plans.

The Super Rugby competition, which typically finishes at the end of June, would also have to start earlier in 2028 to be aligned with the clubs in the north.

Japan’s League One competition currently finishes in May.

Executives are brimming with excitement about the concept because of the commercial revenue – broadcast and ticket – it promises to attract.

First-year Reds coach Kiss, who previously served under Joe Schmidt as an assistant with the Irish national team before working at Ulster and London Irish, added that the competition would benefit Australian rugby because it would expose their players to other styles of the game.

“Personally, the more exposure of those high-level games with teams playing differently (the better),” he said on Tuesday.

“I think they’re exciting opportunities.

“If we can make it fit into the calendar and at the right time, I’m a big fan.

“One of the great things that you do in the northern hemisphere rugby is the variety of games and style of play from people from different countries and people, who learn the game through a different lens, how they approach the set-piece or the kicking game, or the attacking game, how they approach the breakdown.

“All of those things are important for young rugby players to experience and the more that we can experience it as Australian players, the better that we will be on the international scene as well.”