Nations Championship?
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Six Nations, SANZAAR statement: New tournaments to launch in 2026
The Six Nations and SANZAAR have issued a joint statement explaining their ambitious plans to launch a new tournament in 2026 in the existing July and November international rugby windows.
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"Six Nations and SANZAAR will own and operate the elite competition, with World Rugby creating a newly formed second-tier competition to facilitate promotion and relegation matches."
Liking this - great way to develop the game, give the likes of Georgia a leg-up and incentive countries like Italy (wonder if they'd have been in the doldrums so long if there was a risk of relegation)
"All of the Six Nations and SANZAAR teams will compete and will be joined by two invitational unions."
12 Teams? Could be unwieldly depending on the format.
“Owned and operated by Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, the elite competition will take place in alternating years, outside of the British and Irish Lions Tours and Rugby World Cup."
Generally like. Gives it a little bit of a rarity value rather than having it every year.
Overall, think it's a really good idea if it's done right, but need to see what the impact is on the TRC, 6N's and EOYT's
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From the SANZAAR media release, which includes this:
- World Rugby will create a newly formed second-tier competition, to facilitate promotion and relegation from 2030
About the promotion and relegation: will this include the Six Nations? They've always been against it, but it would be quite ridiculous if there was only promotion/relegation in the SH competition/Rugby Championship.
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@Stargazer said in Six Nations, SANZAAR New tournaments in 2026:
About the promotion and relegation: will this include the Six Nations? They've always been against it,
This is a separate competition from TRC/Six Nations isn't it? As in, in addition to?
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@Stargazer said in Six Nations, SANZAAR New tournaments in 2026:
About the promotion and relegation: will this include the Six Nations? They've always been against it, but it would be quite ridiculous if there was only promotion/relegation in the SH competition/Rugby Championship.
Maybe the promotion/relegation only applies to the ‘two invitational unions’?
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@KiwiMurph The way I understand it is that the Six Nations and Rugby Championship (+2) are played in their usual time frame and that the new competition consists of the cross-over games between both competitions and takes place during the July and November window, followed by a Final.
I assume something similar will happen in the second tier.
The only way I can see promotion/relegation between both tiers, is that the country that wins promotion, enters the competition of their own hemisphere, unless they replace a Six Nations/RC nation only for the cross-over part of this new competition. But in that case they'd have to play promotion/relegation games before the new competition starts, not after.
If it's the former, for example, if Georgia wins a promotion/relegation match, it would be impractical if they knock Argentina out of tier 1 and replace Argentina in the Rugby Championship. Same with, for example, Samoa. If they earn promotion, it's hard to imagine that they replace Italy in the Six Nations.
It will be interesting how it works out. I'd expect two promotion/relegation games: one between the European nations and one between TRC nations.
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@Duluth said in Six Nations, SANZAAR New tournaments in 2026:
Maybe the promotion/relegation only applies to the ‘two invitational unions’?
i hope not but poss. why there are two teams outside of TRC and the 6N's. Be a bit daft to have say, Japan and Georgia, above Italy in the final table but Italy stays as they are in the 6N's.
As @Machpants seemed to say, they have time to sort out the Promotion Relegation bit and get it right.
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That sounds really convoluted, doesn't it. Be better if they keep it simple and separate from TRC & 6N's
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"Six Nations and SANZAAR will own and operate the elite competition, with World Rugby creating a newly formed second-tier competition to facilitate promotion and relegation matches."
This is the problem.. separate professional organisations trying to be included in a global sport.
So there's two distinct companies - "owning" certain competitions - and then trying to shoehorn that into a global sporting structure.
From my 10 seconds of learning about, thinking about, and writing about - this proposal - it seems a reasonable starting point.
The 2 "invitational unions" being the obvious "buffer" between the TRC+6N and 2nd-Tier.
Yes... it's going to get a little embarrassing when Japan, Georgia, Samoa and Fiji - are all consistently better than Italy... with one or two of them stuck in 2nd-Tier while Italy is forever preserved in "Tier 1".
But ... you have to be realistic about these things... and it seems a reasonable starting point.
Also... what's the likelihood of there being more than two of Japan,Georgia,Samoa,Fiji - ALL being ahead of Italy on rankings at any time soon?Edit: - re-reading the posts previous to mine... it seems there was a bit of wonder-ment whether the promotion/relegation would apply to 6N & TRC or not. My reading of that very simple quote was a very simple: NO. 6N and TRC are ring-fenced "companies". Everything else is working around that. For better or worse.
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Will it diminish the RWC?
I would have preferred this every 4 years. Ideally 2 years after the RWC with the lions tour shifting years
With a big club championship including Japan, SR teams, UK Ireland france etc every 4 years as well. say 50 teams in 10 pools. 16 team knockout
Maybe it's wanting too much though
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Lions isn’t moving anywhere
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'The death of Tier 2 rugby' - Fans slam new global rugby tournament
The reaction to SANZAAR and Six Nations Rugby's plans for a new international rugby tournament has been widely criticised by fans and media.
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Too much of the sane old, same old. No real incentive or opportunity for the Tier 2 countries save possibly Japan an Fiji/other PI.
Cash cow. Nothing more.
Embarrassing.
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Well I quite happy with idea of it. It pretty obvious from reading the press release RC will supply the 2 invitation teams, so Japan and Fiji probably. until 2030. The best thing is teams that travel in the July wondow etc will be coming with close to full strength teams etc.
I will add those that are aginst mandatory rest weeks for test players maybe disappointed, as teams will have to hit ground running early . Also see the likes of Tonga, Samoa becoming pretty poulay as warm up games for SH teams, so a bonus there for those countries?
And to those that say cash cow etc, probably, but would they prefer that rugby didn't try and get more money to develop game?
And reading the article posted above why would Georgia not play a top tier nation maore tha once every 4 years, surely they will be very poular warm up games for 6N teams as they are now, and after 2030 hopefully they maybe good enough to earn promotion. If WR get tier 2 comp going as proposed isn't that good? Georgia,US,Canade,Tonga, Samoa with comps that have reason. As I say it seems first thing to do is look for negatives, I will look at positives, and think it a good starting point. -
It adds structure, meaning, more money for unions.
Will be interesting if this competition becomes the way for WR to confirm qualification and seeding for future world cups.
I don’t mind the comp, although it will change TRC to a 6 team comp and mirror the home and away aspect of it in alternate years.
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Georgia are the obvious losers here if there is no relegation/promotion.
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@Dan54 said in Six Nations, SANZAAR New tournaments in 2026:
Well I quite happy with idea of it. It pretty obvious from reading the press release RC will supply the 2 invitation teams, so Japan and Fiji probably. until 2030. The best thing is teams that travel in the July wondow etc will be coming with close to full strength teams etc.
I will add those that are aginst mandatory rest weeks for test players maybe disappointed, as teams will have to hit ground running early . Also see the likes of Tonga, Samoa becoming pretty poulay as warm up games for SH teams, so a bonus there for those countries?
And to those that say cash cow etc, probably, but would they prefer that rugby didn't try and get more money to develop game?
And reading the article posted above why would Georgia not play a top tier nation maore tha once every 4 years, surely they will be very poular warm up games for 6N teams as they are now, and after 2030 hopefully they maybe good enough to earn promotion. If WR get tier 2 comp going as proposed isn't that good? Georgia,US,Canade,Tonga, Samoa with comps that have reason. As I say it seems first thing to do is look for negatives, I will look at positives, and think it a good starting point.Not guilty
SANZAAR and Six Nations Rugby Set to launch New International Rugby Competition
