The idea that a biennial tournament involving all the Tier 1 nations with a couple of ‘additions’ who can add money to the pot is not going to impact on the current world system of games, the Six Nations, the Rugby Championship, the Rugby World Cup, and the Lions, seems ludicrous to me.
At the moment these current competitions are the pinnacle of the sport with each country focussed on winning their local events as a stepping stone to potentially winning the World Cup.
The new competition appears to me like a desperate attempt by the Unions to have their cake and eat it, by trying to keep the current premier moneymaking competitions plus adding a new one which, theoretically, offers a new and exciting international competition every two years.
The competition looks to be a league of two pools of six international teams that would effectively take over the Six Nations and Rugby Championship which will add two selected Tier 2 nations to their number of four to make six. They would be chosen because of the money they could add rather than their actual rugby playing ability.
Effectively, this will be like the days before the first World Cup when the then IRB members only played against each other while occasionaly allowing a match against non members.
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Denne historien er fra July 16, 2023-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Ten-try Chiefs show Pirates no mercy
TEN-TRY Exeter inflicted the backlash from six successive defeats in their worst ever start to a Premiership season on a young Pirates side suffering their own problems in the Championship.
South America look to keep on building
AS Sebastián Piñeyrúa's historic six-year term as President of Rugby Sudamérica comes to an end, his replacement shows no signs of slowing down.
Scarratt excited by new pathway
ENGLAND centurion Emily Scarratt is delighted with the new women's BUCS programme which aims to provide a smoother pathway for young aspiring female players.
Baxter: I want to make things better
ROB Baxter will not be walking away from Exeter, the only club still looking for a Premiership victory this season, believing he can get the Chiefs back on track and he cannot bear the thought of anyone else doing the job.
Pearce walks in his father's footsteps
PADDY Pearce is living a dream after emulating his father and great-uncle by playing for the club he supported as a boy, Bristol.
New England group will cause uncertainty
SO JUST when we thought that everything was getting sorted between the RFU, the clubs and players, a number of new agreements and a new group raises its head.
Galthie turns his sights to the future
FRANCE head coach Fabien Galthie offered the clearest hint yet of Les Bleus' future on Wednesday, when he released 19 players back F to their clubs for the ninth and final Top 14 round before the international break.
Gilmore has tightened up our defence - Anderson
CAMERON Anderson has hailed the impact made by defence coach Jason Gilmore, below, since he arrived at The Stoop in the summer.
Ampthill given 11-try lesson in class from Bath
BATH secured a thumping away success in the opening match of their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign against Ampthill at Dillingham Park.
New faces take the plaudits for Saints
NORTHAMPTON handed out a thorough lesson to a tame Leicester team in this one-sided East Midlands derby to launch the Premiership Cup.
