Re-design the Nations Championship for the growth of rugby, not as a Tier 1 cabal
As Sir Bill Beaumont and Agustín Pichot both vie for the mantle of chairman of World Rugby, it has become apparent how strikingly similar both candidates’ bids for the role are, despite being painted in a contrasting light, with the Nations Championship, or variations upon it, still at the heart of both men’s plans.
Described by one media outlet as the “dinosaur versus the dynamo” earlier this week, both candidates want the same thing – to grow the game – and many of their promises, such as creating a more diverse World Rugby Council, a global season, strengthening the nations of Tier 2 and below, and improving player welfare, are more or less identical.
Pichot has leaned heavily on the prospect of developing a video game that would rival household names such as FIFA, Madden and NBA 2K, and though something that would undoubtedly grow the sport, it remains to be seen how viable that is, without buy-in from one of the major developers. His latest idea is to incorporate rugby kits and emblems into Fortnite, as a way of engaging new fans. Whether that is a level of insight rugby has been missing, or patronising to assume players of the game could be swayed so easily, remains to be seen.
Given the similarities in their approaches, video game politics aside, it seems odd that Beaumont and Pichot would still cling so fervently to the idea of a Nations Championship, something which was arguably the most unpopular development of the pair’s previous tenures as chairman and vice-chairman respectively.
Whilst a great move for Fiji and Japan, who would have emerged from the Tier 2 pool of nations to join the stalwarts of the game in the Six Nations and Rugby Championship, it only further cut adrift nations such as Georgia, Uruguay, Spain and the remaining Pacific Islands. Their exposure to a higher standard of opposition would have vanished in an instant. No more trips to Twickenham, no prospect of the promised tours to the Pacific Islands by England and France.
Promotion and relegation may as well have not even been included, such were the permutations around the concept, which could not occur in a Rugby World Cup or British and Irish Lions year. Then factor in the varying trajectories of development that teams from the top league of the competition would have in comparison to the second tier and the prospect of movement between the two would be extremely slim, even for the most optimistic of critics.
Then you come to the Rugby World Cup itself, the biggest and brightest jewel in the sport’s crown. It is a competition which, for many nations and for World Rugby itself, keeps the sport living and breathing. If you start crowning the world champion every year, with the Nations Championship even having a semi-final and final stage, then you dilute the one thing that rugby arguably excels at, with little controversy or criticism, in this showpiece event. It is the one time the world is watching the sport, not just the hardcore and devoted fans, and you want to take away from that?
And yet here we are, with both candidates again pushing the concept, albeit both admitting that it would have to be a “revised” version of the initial proposal. Well, here is a potential revision, forget Tier 1.
Tier 1 nations are big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves at this point and the sustainability of the game in those countries should be down to their governing bodies. They’ve had long enough now in the professional era to know the way of things in this sporting landscape and how best to ensure the game flourishes within their borders. If they do not, that is, with all due respect, their own problem.
Both candidates want to grow Tier 2 and the global support of rugby outside of its heartlands, so focus the Nations Championship on those territories. Create a global and annual championship for those outside of the Six Nations and Rugby Championship, using the periods of those two competitions to play out the internal fixtures within the Nations Championship, whilst keeping the July and November windows free to continue playing Tier 1 nations.
In recent years, World Rugby made great strides in increasing the amount of Tier 1 versus Tier 2 fixtures moving forward, not to mention pushing for the Pacific Islands, Japan, Georgia and Canada all to host tours from Tier 1 nations. It is not worth sacrificing this for any form of Nations Championship, assuming the actual goal is to grow Tier 2 nations to the point where they can consistently compete with Tier 1 sides.
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A Tier 2 Nations Championship, consisting of Japan, Hong Kong, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Namibia, Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Uruguay, Canada and the USA initially could be based in a northern hemisphere nation for the first block of fixtures in February and March, before decamping to the southern hemisphere for the fixtures in August and September. Home and away fixtures are also an option, but logistically, especially if World Rugby funding is provided, bringing the competition to singular locations could cut costs for participating nations and create an atmosphere and excitement that only major tournaments normally provide. Depending on their respective hemispheres, they would then have international matches to host domestically in July or November.
What better way to force the Rugby Championship’s hand than to see Japan or Fiji excelling in this tournament and the tournament’s growth in terms of quality on the pitch and interest from broadcasters? Similarly, how do you show the Six Nations that Georgia or Spain are ready to come to the party? You let them showcase it in a tournament such as this, which would be a more competitive environment than Tier 2 sides are used to, as well as a route to grow fan interest and subsequently revenues and participation.
At this point in time, Japan should be a Tier 1 nation. They have the infrastructure, player pool and potential for growth that only a few Tier 1 sides can match, and why the Six Nations or Rugby Championship are not bending over backwards to include them is baffling. Give the Brave Blossoms three games in February against their Tier 2 rivals, and then the same again in July. Have them host sides in November and go on tours to Tier 1 countries in July. That is a formula, beyond their obvious Rugby World Cup successes, to show everyone watching that they are ready for more.
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In 10 or 15 years’ time, that’s what we could also be saying about Spain or the USA if given a pathway to sustainable growth, rather than being further cast out by a Tier 1 cabal, which is essentially what the Nations Championship would have created in its former guise.
If financially viable, a Tier 3 championship below that could be formed, or regional tournaments could take place, with a centralised playoff, as teams such as Brazil, Russia, Romania and the Netherlands compete to join the Tier 2 competition.
Neither Beaumont nor Pichot can afford to dismiss or anger the Six Nations and Rugby Championship nations, as they are, after all, the kingmakers in this election. That said, a plan to push forward and grow the game at the Tier 2 level, potentially in this revised form of a Nations Championship, is not something that would adversely affect them. In fact, the Six Nations would almost certainly support the concept, as it would allow them to continue with their championship in its current format, one which has been proven to work, engage fans and in turn be extremely lucrative.
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There would potentially be less support from the Tier 1 nations of the southern hemisphere, with the Rugby Championship, commercially at the very least, sitting very much in the shadow of the Six Nations. The original Nations Championship was viewed by plenty in the southern hemisphere as a way of getting a slice of the money on offer in the northern hemisphere. Any significant move to strengthen Tier 2 financially through a designated championship could, perhaps, even be seen as a threat by the SANZAAR unions.
With those unions reportedly backing Pichot in the upcoming election, Beaumont is positioned perfectly to push for a Tier 2 Nations Championship, should the growth of the second tier and below be something that he really wants to achieve.
Both Beaumont and Pichot have described the Coronavirus outbreak as an opportunity for rugby to reset and realign, and, amidst the chaos it is causing, they are not wrong. This is an opportunity for rugby to get its ducks in a row and move forward more harmoniously, but that is not an excuse to rehash bad ideas that were rightly condemned.
Rugby is a small sport and the only way it can be sustainable in the long-term, in a marketplace dominated by football and US sports, is if it grows. The old Nations Championship concept was not one of growth, it was one of ringfencing and protecting interests. This proposal for a Tier 2 Nations Championship might not be the answer, either, but it is certainly an improvement on what came before.
Comments on RugbyPass
Jake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
9 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
9 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
34 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
34 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
86 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
86 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
9 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
34 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
9 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
9 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
11 Go to comments