Rugby set for new 12 Team Global Inter-Hemisphere Championship

shotgunmcos

I read about this in Stephen Jones article in the times at breakfast this morning. Surprised not to see a thread here but maybe I missed one (if so Mods, please merge).

Harmonious is the best description. Keeping the essence of the 6N, Rugby Championships, binning November and summer test/series and bringing in Promotion/Relegation for the Tier 2 12 Team league.

And as soon as 2020!

Thoughts?

A report in Britain’s The Sunday Times says global rugby administrators have agreed to a new annual world championship featuring 12 international teams in a major shake-up of world rugby.
It would involve six teams from each hemisphere, and would likely also have a second division with promotion and relegation available from the top tier.

Test rugby’s major shake-up looks set to go with the 12-team inter-hemisphere plan and could be introduced as early as 2020.

While the game’s bosses left a Sydney meeting late last week without revealing their intentions, The Sunday Times reports that the controversial plan first aired by World Rugby Agustin Pichot is the favoured option.

It would take place in the July and November international windows and involve a 12-team competition.

There would be six teams from each hemisphere – England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales from the north, and South Africa, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand from the south, plus most likely Japan and Fiji.

There would also be a second division, with promotion and relegation between the top flight, according to Sunday Times rugby correspondent Stephen Jones in his report.

The second division would include countries likes Georgia, Romania, Spain, United States, Russia, Tonga and Samoa, “with China and Germany contending because of the attraction of their powerhouse economies”.

Jones labelled it “the launch of the most significant global competition since the World Cup was first played in 1987”.

The tournament would be held for the three years between World Cups and would mean an end to tours by international tours although it reportedly wouldn’t affect the tours by the British & Irish Lions.

image: https://edge.alluremedia.com.au/uploads/businessinsider/2015/10/GettyImages-494074812.jpg


(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
According to Jones, it had been signed off by World Rugby’s (WR) executive committee and “now it falls to their commercial arm to see the concept through, although it would be a big surprise if they cannot attract major sponsors and other commercial concerns, plus major broadcast deals”.

The Sunday Times reported the Sydney meeting was “harmonious” as the sports top administrators sought a new future for the international game.

World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont had given little away at the conclusion of the Sydney meeting that looked to build on a structure earlier agreed at a meeting in San Francisco to try to find a better global calendar for the game.

“Building on the solid foundations of the San Francisco calendar agreement, I believe the time is right and the opportunity exits to do something really impactful that injects further excitement, significance and value into the international rugby between Rugby World Cups for the benefit of all,” Beaumont said in a statement.

“In line with this objective, we are examining models to maximise the potential of the July and November windows without changing the framework of the San Francisco agreement.”


Read more at https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/107496411/rugby-set-to-adopt-global-12team-test-championship-with-plans-for-a-second-division#TuaKuZhpYIYidF1q.99

Heres Johnny

Expect a lot of opposition from English and French clubs and indeed the unions from those countries but ultimately I think it's an exciting idea, just wonder how it will be structured.

I love international rugby though so if it can be made to work, great!!

shotgunmcos

Heres Johnny wrote: »

Expect a lot of opposition from English and French clubs and indeed the unions from those countries but ultimately I think it's an exciting idea, just wonder how it will be structured.

I love international rugby though so if it can be made to work, great!!

I've read the article as published across most papers this ,morning and what is unclear really is what happens to friendly "tests". Also with the July and November tests windows, I wonder where the league will begin and end? For a November start the 6N will be in the middle of it, for a July start the Championship will be in the middle of it. What that actually means for the Business end of the Global league Semi/Final playoff remains to be seen but every nations will have to beef up their squads with an average 39% more international matches going on between 2020-2032.

It means more time for Provinces without their International players but its great news for the academies and emerging players that general demand will increase.

Its a bit like the Club to Provincial European transition 20 years ago, only on a Global scale. I think personally its an exciting move..

LeinsterDub

shotgunmcos wrote: »

I've read the article as published across most papers this ,morning and what is unclear really is what happens to friendly "tests". Also with the July and November tests windows, I wonder where the league will begin and end? For a November start the 6N will be in the middle of it, for a July start the Championship will be in the middle of it. What that actually means for the Business end of the Global league Semi/Final playoff remains to be seen but every nations will have to beef up their squads with an average 39% more international matches going on between 2020-2032.

It means more time for Provinces without their International players but its great news for the academies and emerging players that general demand will increase.

Its a bit like the Club to Provincial European transition 20 years ago, only on a Global scale. I think personally its an exciting move..

You've missed the basic point. These games are replacing the November and July tests and will take place more or less in those 2 windows

Guy:Incognito

Is there a point to the world cup after this comes in?

Edit , or the 6n for that matter.

shotgunmcos

LeinsterDub wrote: »

You've missed the basic point. These games are replacing the November and July tests and will take place more or less in those 2 windows

In my last post I was questioning the impact on the 6N and championship so not sure what point you think I have missed?

It will be a league with a start, finish and playoffs. So not simply replacing the July and November tests. So much at stake, let alone the impact on European Rugby schedules. What if a 6N wooden spoon team also gets relegated from the Tier 1 competition and say Georgia are promoted? Opens up that old discussion about promotion/relegation for the 6N. It will also make WC Groups more challenging.

On the contrary I think it will do much much more than just replacing the Summer and Autumn test series

troyzer

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Is there a point to the world cup after this comes in?

Edit , or the 6n for that matter.

That would be my big fear.

LeinsterDub

shotgunmcos wrote: »

In my last post I was questioning the impact on the 6N and championship so not sure what point you think I have missed?

It will be a league with a start, finish and playoffs. So not simply replacing the July and November tests. So much at stake, let alone the impact on European Rugby schedules. What if a 6N wooden spoon team also gets relegated from the Tier 1 competition and say Georgia are promoted? Opens up that old discussion about promotion/relegation for the 6N. It will also make WC Groups more challenging.

On the contrary I think it will do much much more than just replacing the Summer and Autumn test series

It's a league over 2.5 seasons is my reading of it. It won't Impact the 6N or Championship

Venjur

This seems like an early move to save the relevance of South Hemisphere rugby with the game collapsing in Australia.

If it goes ahead as suggested it becomes the main annual competition with the six nations and rugby championship falling in relevance.

This would be a massive tidal shift in world rugby and as such would bring a good deal of risk for the sport.

troyzer

Venjur wrote: »

This seems like an early move to save the relevance of South Hemisphere rugby with the game collapsing in Australia.

If it goes ahead as suggested it becomes the main annual competition with the six nations and rugby championship falling in relevance.

This would be a massive tidal shift in world rugby and as such would bring a good deal of risk for the sport.

The current setup of Six Nations/Rugby Championship and then the hemispheres battle it out twice a year is great but it's probably also stunting the growth of the game in new markets.

shotgunmcos

LeinsterDub wrote: »

It's a league over 2.5 seasons is my reading of it. It won't Impact the 6N or Championship

Its an annual 12 team (3 pools of 4) from what I understand

shotgunmcos wrote: »

A report in Britain’s The Sunday Times says global rugby administrators have agreed to a new annual world championship featuring 12 international teams in a major shake-up of world rugby.... etc.

Edit: removing crumby maths

Quin_Dub

Removing the July/November games basically ends any pretense of being interested in developing the game in other countries..

How does a team outside the current Top 12 get in to the Top 12 if they never get to play a team above them in the ranking except for 1 or 2 games every 4 years at a (now massively de-valued) WC ?

It's a horrible idea , yet another attempt at getting someone else to solve the problems of a lack of revenue in the game in the Southern Hemisphere.

Guy:Incognito

A world cup every 4 years with a world cup every year in between.

KBurke85

Quin_Dub wrote: »

Removing the July/November games basically ends any pretense of being interested in developing the game in other countries..

How does a team outside the current Top 12 get in to the Top 12 if they never get to play a team above them in the ranking except for 1 or 2 games every 4 years at a (now massively de-valued) WC ?

It's a horrible idea , yet another attempt at getting someone else to solve the problems of a lack of revenue in the game in the Southern Hemisphere.

They get into the top 12 by getting promoted from the second divison. It's not as if they get a whole load of games against tier 1 teams as it is

The Lost Sheep

KBurke85 wrote: »

They get into the top 12 by getting promoted from the second divison. It's not as if they get a whole load of games against tier 1 teams as it is

They dont get enough as it is and this proposal just makes it harder for them to get games.

troyzer

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

They dont get enough as it is and this proposal just makes it harder for them to get games.

A team like Georgia would get way more.

The Lost Sheep

troyzer wrote: »

A team like Georgia would get way more.

Georgia, Romania need more games against 6 Nations and 4 Nations sides. This proposal doesnt help them. Even with the promotion/relegation on offer.

troyzer

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Georgia, Romania need more games against 6 Nations and 4 Nations sides. This proposal doesnt help them. Even with the promotion/relegation on offer.

Of course it helps them. They'd be top of the second table or maybe even bottom of the first table. How often do they get games against the Six Nations teams at the moment? If they're in the same table they'd get far more and are more likely to be up there than the rest.

It definitely hurts teams like Canada and the US though.

shotgunmcos

Straight away Georgia and Romania will be in a competition with the likes of Canada, USA, Samoa with a chance of promotion to 3-5 competitive games against Tier 1 on year 2. That alone will up the ante in the 2nd league.

An older Irish Times article that suggests more tests between Tier1/2 nations the "old" tests windows
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/world-rugby-announce-new-yearly-schedule-1.3013164

The Lost Sheep

troyzer wrote: »

Of course it helps them. They'd be top of the second table or maybe even bottom of the first table. How often do they get games against the Six Nations teams at the moment? If they're in the same table they'd get far more and are more likely to be up there than the rest.

It definitely hurts teams like Canada and the US though.

It isnt what rugby needs. We need a global season and more structures for other countries that this simply wont provide.