Nations Championship?
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@Stargazer said in World League Rugby / Nations Championship:
@chimoaus I somehow doubt that will happen, because in the Nations Championship they'll play fewer tests than they do now.
I highly doubt they will only play 11 or 12 tests, I would almost guarantee NZ Rugby will schedule at least 2 additional tests to make extra cash. Think a 2nd Bledisloe and a warm up game vs a Pacific Island team taking that total to 13/14.
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@chimoaus Maybe that's true, but I expect the ABs rest days/breaks will be more like last year's than this year's. And I haven't read anything about maximum squad sizes for the proposed Nations Championship, yet. If not too limited, I expect ABs second or third stringers to play weaker teams such as Japan, Fiji and Italy.
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I can see a second Bled, but we don't need other tests. The money coming in on this deal would make them pointless. So 12 or 13, of which we get, say Japan and Fiji in RC (rest players for those), same with Italy up north.
The main problem is any one of those tier 1 Nations can veto this, no point saying it's not right out whatever, that's a fact.
Noises from the north about the 6N sale not great... England and France want more, surprise surprise, and England even have a plan to centralise contacts and join another league!
Six Nations unions divided over revenue and Nations Championship plans
The Six Nations countries are in danger of falling out over splitting their income and whether or not to agree to be part of the Nations Championship
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So, this is apparently kaput.
I'm not that surprised, or that bothered. But I was beginning to look forward to a Rugby Championship with Fiji in it (and Japan). Absolutely no word on the future of the RC yet.
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The player welfare thing is bollox, pretty much what the SR international teams have to do. But they would need more by in from the clubs. But the relegation thing is correct, without HUGE cash parachutes for 2 years from WR those NH Unions would go broke. The chances of England ever being relegated are virtually nil, they've never bottomed out the 6N, but they're rather risk adverse up there!
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Some very good points in this post on the "Tier 2 Rugby blog", esp the points about the global calendar, the relegation pathway and the proposed third division.
World Rugby's proposed "Nations Championship" is a terrible idea for "the global game"
News and opinion focusing on Tier 2 rugby nations.
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Is dead.
10 years from now the club game will be the main show in town, 6N and RWC excepted.
Pity.
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World Rugby discontinues Nations Championship plans
World Rugby can confirm that that it has taken the reluctant decision to discontinue plans for the Nations Championship after the required unanimous agreement by unions to enter into exclusive negotiations was not achieved by Wednesday’s deadline. Despite strong progress in collaboration with unions, competition owners and International Rugby Players, including full engagement on the detailed process of financial due diligence, a lack of consensus on key issues, particularly the timing and format of promotion and relegation, left World Rugby with no alternative but to discontinue the project. The core objective of the Nations Championship was to secure a strong and sustainable financial and competition model for unions, provide for the first time a meaningful competition pathway for all emerging nations, further inject excitement into the international game for fans and broadcasters and develop new markets for the betterment of all. The concept was underpinned by a game-changing 12-year £6.1 billion guarantee from leading sports marketing agency Infront Sports & Media, backed by Hong Kong-based parent company Wanda Sports. Importantly, ownership of the competition would have been retained by the unions and competition owners without any sale of equity. Infront Sports and Media and Wanda Sports remain fully committed to World Rugby's objectives. Throughout extensive consultation with unions and the international game’s major stakeholders, World Rugby has demonstrated flexibility and made every effort to provide solutions and reassurance on key areas including the format of the second division, the financial package for relegated teams and key player welfare considerations.World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “World Rugby undertook this important project with the best interests of the global game at heart in line with our vision to grow the sport as a game for all. While we are naturally disappointed that a unanimous position on the Nations Championship could not be achieved among our unions, we remain fully committed to exploring alternative ways to enhance the meaning, value and opportunity of international rugby for the betterment of all unions. “This includes our continued commitment to competition and investment opportunities for emerging nations to increase the competitiveness of the international game with a view to possible Rugby World Cup expansion in 2027. “I would like to thank all stakeholders for their detailed consideration and engagement, World Rugby’s executive team for their hard work and Infront Sports and Media for their full and ongoing support of our vision to grow rugby’s global footprint.” -
@Billy-Tell Yup this is the beginning of the end for us smaller nations rugby power. The player drain will become unsustainable, as it is in the PI & SA, Oz too. We're next, with falling male players and increasing money in the club game. It's not going to be soon, but it will happen.
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Dunno why anyone would be disappointed by this. It would have killed global rugby. Samoa, USA, Romania, Tonga, Canada, Uruguay and Russia all left to rot. The same 10 teams playing each other season after season like cricket or netball.
Football and basketball see the sense in nurturing as many nations as possible because the more of the world that is interested and invested in their sport the bigger commercial pie.
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@Machpants said in World League Rugby / Nations Championship:
Yup and NZ getting no money for our games in the NH.
No money?
NZRU gets money from tests in US and in any of the out of window tests. -
@Wurzel said in World League Rugby / Nations Championship:
Dunno why anyone would be disappointed by this. It would have killed global rugby. Samoa, USA, Romania, Tonga, Canada, Uruguay and Russia all left to rot. The same 10 teams playing each other season after season like cricket or netball.
The current system has seen them go from World Cup quarter finalists to losing to Brazil on multiple occasions. USA was included in the top tier of the initial proposal.
I'm not sure what model is going to allow a nation of approximately 100,000 people who essentially has no professional infrastructure and entire talent base is outsource to compete on a level playing field with the other top tier nations. I'm happy to hear one?
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@mofitzy_ said in World League Rugby / Nations Championship:
@Wurzel
I guess you missed the part about it being a 12 team league with promotion/relegation?The status quo is what you are describing.
That's why I listed nations left out of the proposed 12 team league. They'd never see a T1 fixture outside the RWC, when they'd be on a hiding to nothing.
The promotion/relegation was to be shelved for the first 10 years of the agreement. And once installed would only happen in non RWC and Lions years... so every second year.
And even then, the only T2 nations playing a 'T1' fixture are the winners of the European and Rest Of World conferences taking on the whipping boys of the top division in the biennial promo/rel match. So, for example, Russia would play Georgia 12 years from now. And Samoa would play Fiji 12 years from now. That's it! How does that globalise rugby?
