The Rugby Championship needs Japan and Fiji
NZR CEO Mark Robinson revealed that talks are underway for Fiji and Japan to enter an annual Six Nations-style tournament in 2026 to occur every two years.
This move would be a winner but it should be every year as part of an expanded Rugby Championship.
Frankly, the flagship Rugby Championship competition already lacks unpredictability and expansion with Fiji and Japan adds a missing element to shake-up the tournament which is regarded as an inferior product to the Six Nations.
We have evidence to suggest that the Brave Blossoms are ready after watching their progress over the last five years.
In 2018 the All Blacks sent the ‘A’ team to Europe to prepare for the end of year tour while the ‘B’ squad played against Japan in Tokyo.
The second string All Black side won handily by 69-31.
Fast forward five years and the All Blacks squeezed a tight 38-31 win that was only decided in the final moments.
This was an experimental All Black side but featured front line starters Samisoni Taukei’aho, Brodie Retallick, Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane, Richie Mo’unga, and Caleb Clarke.
Japan has struggled to play quality Test fixtures frequently since 2020 but was still able to push a much stronger side than the one they faced in 2018. The gap was much closer than it once was.
Regardless, whether Japan can regularly defeat the All Blacks should not be the pre-requisite for approval into the Championship.
Argentina took 35 years and 30 Tests to register their first win over New Zealand, and it took nine years of competition in the Rugby Championship to do so.
The development of Los Pumas has been on-going and despite one of their best showings in 2022, they still finished last.
Japan’s 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign showed how formidable they can be against tier one competition at home.
They knocked off Ireland, who were ranked number one in the world earlier that year, and Scotland in pool play to qualify for the quarter-finals.
We have seen Japan already shock South Africa with the ‘Brighton miracle’ during the 2015 edition.
Annual competition against New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, South Africa, and Fiji in an expanded Championship is not beyond the capabilities of Japan.
They are capable of winning two of those fixtures every year, and possibly four of them, if they have a superb year.
Japan’s style will trouble the Springboks, challenge the All Blacks and no doubt be an interesting proposition for Australia and Argentina.
The All Blacks have won every full edition of the tournament since its inception in 2012.
Australia and South Africa have just one title each from truncated versions in World Cup years and duked it out for second and third most years.
Argentina have struggled, taking all but one wooden spoon and hold a record of seven wins, one draw and 46 losses after over a decade of involvement.
Elevating both Japan and Fiji into the tournament immediately brings two opponents to shake off the staleness.
While New Zealand might still win the title more often than not, Argentina will no longer pick up the spoon every year.
Japan and Fiji can benefit from having each other included at the same time, unlike Argentina who just had to suffer beatings for the most part.
As the Fijian Drua have proven, when afforded the opportunity to play at home and the time to grow, Fijian rugby can succeed.
The Drua have stunned the New Zealand Super Rugby teams in Fiji in just their second year of competition.
The Kiwi teams have vastly more resources and far more advanced development systems in place but the Drua have overcome that.
Fiji has always had what it takes to knock off any tier one opponent at home, and given the chance to, they will do so.
The Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks will all lose to Fiji at home sooner than predicted, which will be great for the competition, and great for Test rugby.
The fever pitch atmosphere in Fiji brings a made-for-TV product that makes the road trip to Suva highly compelling, refreshing the Rugby Championship as a spectacle.
Considering the style of rugby the Fijians play and the athletes they produce, it is a no-brainer to have them included from an entertainment perspective.
If Fiji can field a team with European based-stars like Semi Radradra and captain Waisea Nayacalevu, the commercial value of the Rugby Championship increases.
Although the Fijians might not bring a big TV rights market to the table like Japan, the SANZAAR partners all get a better TV-product as a result of their inclusion.
How many rugby fans wouldn’t be interested in a full-strength Fijian side traveling to Ellis Park to play the Springboks? Or hosting the All Blacks at home in Suva in front a delirious home fans?
A six-team Rugby Championship with Japan and Fiji would reduce the number of current fixtures per team, playing everyone just once on an alternating home-and-away basis annually.
But those five Tests each would be a perfect balance of supply and demand, maintaining scarcity and holding anticipation.
The All Blacks could still play the Wallabies twice with one fixture outside the Rugby Championship for the Bledisloe Cup, as is the case now, but move to playing the Springboks and Argentina just once a year.
It would arguably be a better entertainment product from the get-go, with three tests every weekend over five rounds across the most culturally diverse locations in rugby.
There is no doubt that Japan and Fiji would sell out every home Test. They would already bring competitive teams. And when playing at home, they will take down the giants in time as Argentina have.
The longer term aim would be to have the USA as the seventh competing member of the Rugby Championship, capturing one of the biggest sporting markets in the world.
A revamped Rugby Championship with Japan and Fiji is a winner. The current tournament has the best rugby nations involved but fails to be the best rugby competition.
That could change with Japan and Fiji who bring different but exciting playing styles, as well as appealing locations to hold top tier Test rugby.
Comments on RugbyPass
Brayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
5 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.
27 Go to commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
1 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
5 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
3 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to commentsThe current AB coaching team is basically the Crusaders so it smacks of wanting their familiar leaders around. This is not a good look for the future of the ABs or the younger players in Super working their way up the player ladder. Razor is touted as innovative, forward looking but his early moves look like insecurity and insular, provincial thinking. He is the AB's coach not the Golden Oldies.
10 Go to commentsSimple reason for wanting him back. Robertson wants him as captain. Otherwise he wouldn’t be bothering chasing him. Not enough reason to come back just to mentor.
10 Go to comments