Proposed 'World League' - Pros and cons
The global rugby community has been up in arms today, after a report emerged in the New Zealand Herald offering more clarity on what World Rugby’s proposed ‘World League’ will look like.
The report states that it will be a 12-team competition, incorporating the current Guinness Six Nations and Rugby Championship sides, with Japan and the USA taking up the final two spots, as well as being added to the latter of those two championships. One point that has particularly riled up fans of the game is that there will be no relegation from the competition, giving the likes of Fiji and Georgia no opportunity to join the party.
With World Rugby vice chairman Agustín Pichot appointed to the Board of Directors at USA Rugby last year, it has understandably stoked ire in a number of people, but as critical as the public consensus has seemed to be on the proposed competition, which is still just a report in one publication, there are positive elements to it.
We have attempted to stack up the pros and cons on the reported World League below.
Pros
- As stands, the games in England and France prop up World Rugby financially and the inclusion of two potentially big rugby economies in Japan and the USA would help drive growth of the game in those territories. If they can develop into the equivalent of the current Tier 1 nations and build participation numbers and support, World Rugby could find itself with more funding to help protect the game in countries like Fiji, Samoa and Tonga in the future.
- Japan having already shown they can be competitive at this level. They are ranked inside the top 12 nations in the world and are worthy of a spot based on both commercial potential and on-field ability.
- The USA currently sit 13th in the world and have taken the scalps of Scotland in recent years, as well as running Italy and Ireland both close. It is not quite the stretch of imagination to have them among the top 12 teams in the world that some are making it out to be.
- The financial benefits for the unions involved look to be significant, particularly for the non-Six Nations sides, who do not currently enjoy the financial rewards that can be achieved in the northern hemisphere. This is money that can help sustain the game in those countries and allow them to better retain their players, instead of seeing exoduses, particularly after Rugby World Cups, to Europe.
Cons
- It is likely to create an even bigger divide between the Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams, something which World Rugby has been attempting to combat, most notably at the Rugby World Cup. Without the opportunity for sides like Fiji and Georgia to play the New Zealands, Englands and South Africas of the world, they are denied the possibility of moving away from being big fishes in a small pond.
- Fiji, Samoa and Tonga are left out in the cold. England and France had both committed to touring the Islands after the 2019 Rugby World Cup, but under this reported proposal that would be impossible, with both nations bound into their World League obligations.
- Under the reported structure, some teams will face five-straight weeks of international rugby at the end of the year, with the three final fixtures of the regular season, as well as semi-finals and a final to follow. The likes of Kieran Read, Jonathan Sexton and Owen Farrell have all already made statements on behalf of the International Rugby Players organisation, criticising the lack of player welfare considerations in the proposal.
- It will bring an end to touring, with sides from the Six Nations heading to the southern hemisphere in July to play three different opponents and the vice versa true for the southern hemisphere sides heading to Europe in November. There are no mentions of the British and Irish Lions in the report, but if it is to be an annual competition, that could mean the end of the Lions, who would require involvement from five of the 12 teams every four years.
- To crown a best side in the world every year, especially with a knockout phase involved, would only go to diminish the Rugby World Cup. Why do you need a showpiece event like the Rugby World Cup if, every year, you know who the best side in the world is? It is also likely to diminish both the Six Nations and Rugby Championship, with those tournaments set to just be components of the larger World League.
- Fiji are shunned, despite being the number nine team in the world, whilst Italy make it in as the 15th ranked side. The commercial reasons have been discussed in the pros section, but if the true goal is to market the tournament as the best 12 sides in the world going head-to-head, it simply cannot exist without promotion and relegation, nor the traditional competitions of the Six Nations and Rugby Championship being safeguarded from that.
Where do you stand on the proposal? Is it commercially appetising enough to warrant such radical change or does it lack a competitive validity with a ringfenced group of nations?
Let us know what you think.
Watch: Bill Beaumont and Willie John McBridge receive honours from the Queen.
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
69 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments