Nations Championship will bring a tectonic shift in sport, say rugby chiefs
Rugby’s new Nations Championship, which starts next year and will pit the best of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres against each other, “signals a tectonic shift in the sport” says Six Nations CEO Tom Harrison.
The biennial competition will comprise three rounds apiece in July and November followed by a three-day Finals Weekend, the inaugural edition of which will take place at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, London.
The Nations Championship is a bid to inject new meaning into the international game and comes as R360 chiefs also attempt to shake up the club game by launching a big-money, globetrotting franchise league next autumn.
“The Nations Championship has the power to redefine the future of rugby, and the partnership between Six Nations Rugby and Sanzaar signals a tectonic shift in the sport,” said Harrison.
“Rugby’s strongest nations have collaborated with a clear vision to grow the game, by challenging traditional ways of operating to create a tournament structure with genuine global relevance, which will unlock the true value of the sport.”
Who do England play in Nations Championship?
England will travel to South Africa, Fiji and Argentina next summer before hosting Australia, Japan and New Zealand in the autumn. Teams will be grouped by hemisphere, with the top teams facing each other – plus second v second, and so on – in Finals Weekend.
Top players face a choice between representing their countries and signing up for R360, which was conceived in response to rugby’s perceived failure to capitalise on its popularity, with leading unions warning that those who do will be blackballed.
“The world’s biggest and best championships are defined by intense sporting drama, and the Nations Championship will stand alongside these,” added Harrison.
“The Finals Weekend will add a totally new dimension for fans, and promises to create an incredible spectacle, crown champions, and act as a catalyst to grow rugby’s reach, globally.
“By bringing together the best teams and players in the sport and injecting another layer to the fierce cross hemisphere rivalries, the Nations Championship will take international rugby to new heights.”
Ticketing information for the Nations Championship, venues and kick-off times, the tournament’s points system and which broadcasters are set to show it are yet to be confirmed.