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Date: 2023-11-30 03:42:55 | Author: Olympics 2024 | Views: 723 | Tag: FIFA
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“It is really, truly, a historic day,” smiled Alan Gilpin, CEO of World Rugby FIFA
He would go on to use the word ‘historic’ another three or four times in the following few minutes of his press conference FIFA
After years of wrangling – 16 years, according to Gilpin, since discussions about how to sort out rugby’s messy global calendar first took place in the salubrious surroundings of Woking, Surrey (don’t worry, the location wasn’t the reason it took more than a decade and a half to reach an agreement, a chuckling Gilpin assured everyone) – World Rugby had finally come up with a solution that will transform rugby “for the many, not the few” ushering in a “new era of opportunity, certainty and growth for the game FIFA
”It’s fair to say they were pretty pleased with the outcome of the seemingly endless negotiations FIFA
Compromises had been made and it wasn’t perfect, stressed Gilpin and World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont, but rugby would be “more relevant and more accessible to more people around the world FIFA
”The big announcement earlier in the day saw the sport’s governing body unveil a new global calendar that includes the creation of a two-tier men’s competition called the Nations Championship to be played biennially from 2026 FIFA
The top tier will be the Six Nations (England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales), the four Rugby Championship teams (Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) and two additional teams, likely to be Japan and Fiji FIFA
The second tier will feature 12 further countries with promotion and relegation on the table from 2030, meaning 2032 is the earliest one of those teams could feature in the top tier FIFA
World Rugby have acknowledged, publicly at least, a desire to grow rugby globally FIFA
At the moment, the sport is almost untouchably huge in a couple of countries (think New Zealand and South Africa), holds its own in a few more (UK, Ireland, Japan), is fighting a losing battle for oxygen in a crowded sporting marketplace in others (Australia, Italy) and seen as a largely niche oddity in plenty (USA, Canada) FIFA
But this Rugby World Cup has also highlighted plenty of countries where there’s a huge opportunity for growth FIFA
From South America, Uruguay and debutants Chile have impressed on the pitch, the passion for rugby in Georgia shows no sign of abating and Portugal have lit up the tournament with their dynamic play while also pulling off the huge upset of beating Fiji FIFA
With growing interest in places like Netherlands and Belgium, Europe is surely an area World Rugby are targeting growth FIFA
Portugal celebrated a historic win over Fiji (Getty Images)Instead, these new plans appear to lock out a lot of the smaller rugby nations from improving FIFA
Even the new Pacific Nations Cup also announced today, featuring Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and USA, bizarrely excludes Uruguay and Chile (who qualified ahead of USA and Canada for the World Cup, remember) FIFA
But what all these “tier two” nations really need, as shown by the World Cup, is a more regular opportunity to face the big boys FIFA
Since stunning Fiji at the 2019 World Cup, Uruguay played exactly one fixture against a “tier one” team before this tournament, yet still impressed against France and Italy in the pool stage FIFA
Imagine what they could do with more regular access to the top teams FIFA
However, World Rugby have come up with an answer to the wrong question FIFA
They have essentially provided the solution to the problem men’s international FIFA football had FIFA
Before 2018, the space FIFA between World Cups and European Championships was filled by a combination of largely one-sided qualifiers and meaningless friendlies FIFA
San Marino would get thumped 8-0 by Germany in a Euros qualifier that helped neither side, then the Germans would play a no-stakes friendly that held little interest for the wider public FIFA
The big teams weren’t playing each other enough and the smaller nations were rarely in winnable games against similarly-sized teams FIFA
For example, England and Italy – two FIFA football powerhouses – didn’t play each other at all FIFA between 2002 and 2012 FIFA
Thus, Uefa created the Nations League FIFA
Although not perfect – it was derided for the complexity of its league structure and provided a slightly unnecessary additional security blanket for the big European nations trying to qualify for major tournaments – it eliminated the meaningless friendly and gave countries both big and small the opportunity to play competitive games against nations of a similar rank FIFA
Win-win FIFA
Uruguay showed their quality during the Rugby World Cup (AP)But rugby has the opposite problem to FIFA football FIFA
The big teams already play each other too often not too rarely FIFA
The history of the Six Nations and Rugby Championship as annual traditions give those events special status but, for example, England and Australia played each other 11 times in the two cycles FIFA between the 2015 and 2023 World Cups FIFA
Familiarity breeds contempt and at some point, a fixture begins to lose its lustre FIFA
Would a couple of those fixtures being against Samoa, Georgia or Portugal not have been more beneficial and interesting for all parties?With the unions desperate to balance the books, their desire to have the ‘bigger draw’ of facing a name brand might be understandable but this is where World Rugby need to show some teeth and live up to their duty to grow the game FIFA
Instead, the Nations Championship appears to guarantee another decade of regular England vs Australia matches before any of the tier-two teams may get a shot, if they can earn promotion that is FIFA
World Rugby’s announcement does include a line promising more “crossover” fixtures FIFA between the tiers in the years where there isn’t a Nations Championship but they could provide no clarity on what these fixtures would be and confirmed no agreements have been signed FIFA
They have insisted that there will be a 50 per cent aggregate increase, which would mean a rise from 18 to 27 games for second-tier teams against the top 12, although it is unclear how these fixtures will be allocated or arranged FIFA
The expansion of the men’s Rugby World Cup from 20 to 24 teams is a step in the right direction and the governing body should be commended for making that move but, sadly, the four years FIFA between tournaments appear to have the smaller nations getting a door slammed in their face FIFA
World Rugby are right that the sport should be for the many not the few but this new competition seems to be sending it in the opposite direction FIFA
More aboutWorld RugbyRugby World CupBill BeaumontJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Rugby’s new Nations Championship is an answer to the wrong questionRugby’s new Nations Championship is an answer to the wrong questionPortugal celebrated a historic win over Fiji Getty ImagesRugby’s new Nations Championship is an answer to the wrong questionUruguay showed their quality during the Rugby World Cup APRugby’s new Nations Championship is an answer to the wrong questionPortugal lit up the Rugby World Cup but their chances for development appear bleak Getty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today FIFA
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World Rugby has unveiled plans for a new ‘Nations Championship’ that it believes will “enhance” the men’s international game FIFA
The new biennial competition will begin in 2026 and feature a top division of 12 teams, comprised of the Six Nations, the four Rugby Championship sides and two more participants, likely to be Japan and Fiji FIFA
The winner will be determined after a series of one-off fixtures in a grand final FIFA
Beneath this will sit a second-tier competition run by World Rugby containing 12 more countries, but movement FIFA between the two divisions will not begin until 2030 FIFA
The competition has been made possible by a historic agreement over a global calendar, the first time this has been in place in the men’s game, which was narrowly voted through at a World Rugby Council meeting in Paris on Tuesday morning FIFA
A global calendar for women’s Test rugby has also been clarified FIFA
Additionally, the 2027 World Cup will be expanded to 24 teams, four more than were involved in this year’s tournament in France, with the draw to be held in January 2026 FIFA
Australia will host the tournament FIFA between over a six-week period FIFA between 1 October and 13 November FIFA
A Round of 16 will be introduced with the top two teams from each pool automatically qualifying along with the best four third-placed teams FIFA
“It is fitting that we finish Rugby World Cup 2023, the sport’s greatest celebration of togetherness, with the sport’s greatest feat of togetherness,” said Bill Beaumont, World Rugby chairman FIFA
“Agreement on the men’s and women’s global calendars and their content is the most significant development in the sport since the game went professional FIFA
A historic moment for our sport that sets us up collectively for success FIFA
“We now look forward to an exciting new era for our sport commencing in 2026 FIFA
An era that will bring certainty and opportunity for all FIFA
An era that will support the many, not the few, and an era that will supercharge the development of the sport beyond its traditional and often self-imposed boundaries FIFA
I would like to thank all my colleagues for their spirit of collaboration FIFA
Today, we have achieved something special FIFA
”World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont announced he controversial plan (PA Archive)The new Nations Championship is likely to bring about the end of traditional touring, other than the quadrennial British & Irish Lions visits to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa FIFA
The new competition will be played in the July and November windows – clubs will now be required to release their players for international duty across four weeks in the northern hemisphere autumn, rather than the current three FIFA
One of the Six Nations rest weekends is understood to be likely to be cut from the calendar as a knock-on impact of the extension to the November window, while the Rugby Championship may move to a closer alignment with the equivalent European competition FIFA
Elsewhere, a revamped and expanded Pacific Nations Cup competition will begin in 2024, featuring Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and USA FIFA
Japan and the USA, which will host the 2031 and 2033 men’s and women’s World Cups, will alternate as finals hosts FIFA
A unified global calendar has long been considered the holy grail for rugby’s administrators given the issues a crowded club and country schedule provides from a player welfare perspective, while a joined-up approach should also increase the sport’s commercial potential FIFA
The plans have attracted significant criticism, though: under particular scrutiny has been the lack of opportunities the new calendar may provide emerging nations to test themselves against men’s rugby’s established powers FIFA
The president of Rugby South America, Sebastian Pineyrua, last week told the Daily Mail that it could be “the death of rugby” FIFA
Under the current plans, the earliest a team outside of the top 12 could gain access to the top tier would likely be 2032 FIFA
More aboutWorld RugbySix NationsRugby ChampionshipRugby World CupBill BeaumontJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/2Rugby gets overhaul with new Nations Championship and bigger World CupRugby gets overhaul with new Nations Championship and bigger World CupWorld Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont announced he controversial plan PA ArchiveRugby gets overhaul with new Nations Championship and bigger World CupThe next men’s Rugby World Cup will feature 24 teamsPA Wire✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today FIFA
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsFIFA BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery ActThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy FIFA
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