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Rugby chiefs from the 10 big Test-playing nations will meet in London next month as they continue plans to overhaul global competition and crown a champion every two years.
While the idea has been regularly kicked around over the past few years, it appears to be gathering pace, with officials confirming a meeting to the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday.
“If we can work together for an outcome that produces a global champion every two years, engages our fan bases more than we do now and throughout the year, and provides a pathway for rugby’s emerging nations to improve and progress, then we can be in a much better position to grow our game and take it to the next level,” SANZAAR boss Brendan Morris told the Herald.
The Herald reports that two 12-team divisions of established and emerging nations are being considered with Six Nations and Rugby Championship unions in the top division along with two other nations such as Fiji and Japan.
The idea is similar to Test cricket’s world championship, where every match is played for points towards the overall championship.
The schedule would stay the same with Six Nations and Rugby Championship running as usual but with the July and Spring Tour Test matches also counting towards crowning the overall champion.
It would, however, affect tours such as England’s trip to Australia this year, with single Tests more in vogue.
In November, the southern hemisphere nations would head north for the final three rounds with a final also possible.
Our experts Brett McKay and Geoff Parkes are off to a cracking start on The Roar Rugby Podcast as they tackle the state of play in the Six Nations and look ahead to the launch of Super Rugby Pacific. Click below to play or follow on Spotify.
A similar bid failed in 2019, with promotion and relegation from divisions a sticking point.
The Herald said Australian officials were cautious about the revival and noted the Six Nations unions’ enthusiasm.
“The rugby bodies have said ‘is there a better international narrative outside Six Nations and TRC around our July and November windows’,” RA CEO Andy Marinos said.
“It’s got to make commercial and financial sense for everybody to do it, so that’s part of the due diligence everyone’s undertaking now, but we’re asking if the global calendar can have a better narrative for fans of the game and can it drive a better return than we get now.”
Meanwhile, SANZAAR has confirmed South Africa will be sticking with the Rugby Championship for now after reports the union was considering a switch to an expanded Six Nations.
South Africa have committed to the SANZAAR joint partnership until 2025.
“The pandemic has created a very unusual sporting environment over the last two years with match and commercial delivery severely affected,” said SANZAAR chairman Marcelo Rodriguez.
”Indeed, there has been much speculation about the future but it is now great that all members have committed through until the end of 2025 as a minimum.
“This means we can concentrate on ensuring The Rugby Championship remains as one of the best rugby tournaments on the world calendar.“
Speculation over South Africa’s intentions increased when the Stormers, Bulls, Lions and Sharks joined the United Rugby Championship, the tournament featuring teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy.
Not a long legal commitment, it should be noted. Lots of moving parts here, tied up with post 2023 World Cup landscape, global calendar and what Rugby Championship looks like. Fiji's entry to Super Rugby is just the start. Six Nations rejected South Africa's approach this time. https://t.co/5fm4JoTqUk
— Georgina Robinson (@geerob) February 15, 2022
SANZAAR also confirmed it is planning to stage The Rugby Championship in its entirety in 2022, with a return to matches being played in all four countries. Last year Australia hosted a mini tournament to finish TRC due to the Covid situation.
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