Nations Championship?
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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?
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@rotated said in World League Rugby / Nations Championship:
@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?
The current system is rubbish as well. The proposed system would see them possibly, maybe, potentially play Japan in 12 years time. That's it.
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WHY
This was a clear money grab to create a closed shop for Tier 1 nations
I'm delighted it's collapsed
Reform is needed not naked greed and short sightness
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@Jaguares4real said in World League Rugby / Nations Championship:
WHY
This was a clear money grab to create a closed shop for Tier 1 nations
I'm delighted it's collapsed
Reform is needed not naked greed and short sightness
Good luck with your reform crusade. Let us know how negotiations turn out with French & UK clubs.
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@Jaguares4real said in World League Rugby / Nations Championship:
This was a clear money grab to create a closed shop for Tier 1 nations
I'm delighted it's collapsed
If it is a money grab surely the money is being grabbed from those outside the closed shop. How many Tongan paʻanga and Uruguayan peso do you think they were planning to make away with? Must be a decent amount for all this effort?
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@Jaguares4real said in World League Rugby / Nations Championship:
WHY
This was a clear money grab to create a closed shop for Tier 1 nations
I'm delighted it's collapsed
Reform is needed not naked greed and short sightness
The only thing that’s not clear is who opposed it and why?
Apparently, it suited the Sanzaar unions and FFR supported it. In a recent interview with English RFU CEO, they were broadly in support of it too. So that leaves the four smaller PRO14 unions or some of them opposed.
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@Billy-Tell said in World League Rugby / Nations Championship:
usade. Let us know how negotiatio
You don't negotiate
You just ENFORCE Regulation 9 re. player release
So forcing the Frogs especially to stop poaching PI players & making them French or bribing them to not play in RWC's
Time for taking is over Time to start rattling some cages
Can't compete financially
Compete for access and you'll win
Reg 9 simples
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@Jaguares4real
Except you can't force individual players against their own financial benefit, which is why this could have been a step in the right direction. -
current system isnt great, but that proposal wasnt either.
Need to start with a global season before they try to fix other parts.
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Also, not touching the 6 nations seems to be crucial.
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@mofitzy_ said in World League Rugby / Nations Championship:
Tier 2 nations would be getting more money and the chance (eventually) to become tier 1.
Don't see how this benefits anyone except the European clubs and I suppose any country that is scared of being included in competition on merit.
There are 66 European professional clubs. How does it benefit the likes of Connacht, Zebre, Ealing Trailfinders, Dragons, Biarritz, amongst a lot of others?
