SANZAAR could Sue Six Nations for compensation; Dupont Gets Gold!

According to a report, SANZAAR nations could seek compensation from the Six Nations after the Nations Championship deal with Qatar fell through.

The Middle Eastern country was seen as the preferred host for the new biennial tournament after entering an exclusive two-month negotiation period.

Fans with Six Nations tickets were after this newest development, and it looked like the perfect platform for the sport to reach new heights. 

A deal was thought to have been extremely close, but the Six Nations blocked it, according to City A.M. 

The report claimed that the English, Welsh, and Scottish unions were open to the proposal but that France and Ireland were unwilling to sign up.

As a result, the deal was not accepted as the Six Nations constitution states that they vote en bloc, which means the respective unions must all agree to the proposal.

Therefore, a new host will be found for the finals weekend of the Nations Championship, a tournament in which the sport’s 10 biggest sides, plus two more—thought to be Fiji and Japan—compete in a top division.

World Rugby will then run the second tier, consisting of 12 more nations. The matches are slated to take place during the July and November windows.

It will start in 2026, aiming to allow promotion and relegation from the two tiers.

Doha was initially the favored destination to host a weekend of play-off encounters in what had been billed as a ‘Super Bowl of rugby,’ but that will not now happen.

It was understood to be worth £800m over six years, or £200m per tournament, with Qatar offering to host the finals in 2026, 2028, 2030, and 2032.

The big Rugby Championship nations have been left distinctly unimpressed with the deal failing to go through.

New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, which have all had financial struggles, were understood to be “strongly in favor” of the offer and, according to City A.M., could now “demand” millions of pounds in compensation from the Six Nations sides.

A search for a new host is underway, and the USA is thought to be a potential option, especially since the Rugby World Cup will be held there in 2031.

World Rugby hopes to grow the sport in the US ahead of the tournament, and having the Nations Championship play-offs in North America could help achieve that aim.

With the Olympic rugby sevens, which proved to be a huge success in Paris, taking place in Los Angeles in 2028, there are several avenues the governing body is exploring.

For now, the fans with Six Nations tickets will have to wait patiently for new developments. Qatar would’ve been a perfect fit as it is an easy-access location for the Six Nations fans. 

Ireland A and England A to Play in Six Nations Window 

The IRFU has confirmed that an Ireland ‘A’ side will take on England ‘A’ in Bristol next year.

The game will occur at Aston Gate Stadium in Bristol on Sunday, 23 February, at 1 pm, the day after Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations meeting with Wales in Cardiff. This will be another added opportunity for the fans to purchase Six Nations tickets for a different game of sorts. 

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has repeatedly stressed the importance of getting game time into his wider squad. He has previously arranged games against the Maori All Blacks and an All Blacks Select XV in 2022, as well as another Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa next month.

“We’re delighted to add this Ireland ‘A’ fixture to next season’s schedule, once again providing a broader pool of players with further exposure to the national team environment,” performance director David Humphreys said.

“Access to meaningful and consistent game time for our emerging players is a key focus, and this match will follow our Emerging Ireland Tour to South Africa this Autumn and a busy November schedule for our men’s senior team.”

It will be the first meeting of the Irish and English second strings since 2015 when the England Saxons won 18-9 at Musgrave Park. Current internationals Jack Conan, Iain Henderson, and Rob Herring all played in that game.

Dupont Gamble on Missing Six Nations Worked Well

A magnificent Antoine Dupont crowned his two-year odyssey into the world of rugby sevens with a dream Olympic gold for France before an adoring crowd in Paris on Saturday.

The France and Toulouse talisman received a rapturous welcome from a raucous Stade de France for the final against Fiji, which the host won 28-7.

“It’s a huge reward for us, for rugby, for all the country,” Dupont said.

“We felt that we were representing not only rugby but the whole French sport. We are proud to start the Olympics like that.”

Dupont added, “It’s such an honor to win this title, and I am so emotional.

“It is such a great thing to achieve with these boys. It’s top of the list.

“I just want to share this with my teammates. We worked so hard for so long to do this, and this is just the cherry on the cake.”

Dupont has established himself as one of the best players in the world of rugby, and the scrum half is an iconic figure in France.

The 27-year-old took the gamble of missing the Six Nations to make the French Olympic team, a move that led to some criticism.

But the combative halfback put that aside, going on to help France to two wins in the World Rugby Sevens Series, including victory in the Madrid finals.

In between, he skippered Toulouse to Top 14 and Champions Cup glory in the game’s 15-a-side format.

After starting the opening two pool matches at the Games, Dupont was named on the bench for the final pool game and the knock-out phases, as coach Jerome Daret plumped for Stephen Parez-Edo Martin in the playmaking role.

“It’s always more difficult to be on the bench because we cannot do anything. It’s more stressful than playing,” Dupont admitted.

“But, this is a part of being in a squad, and the most important thing is the victory.”

Daret dubbed Dupont an “exceptional player whose entry into the game piles a lot of pressure on opponents.”

Wearing the No 11 shirt, Dupont came on for the second half and immediately impacted in the final against reigning two-time champion Fiji.

The ball was knocked back to him, and he was immediately off, rounding Fiji captain Jerry Tuwai and shooting up the left wing.

He lobbed a pass back inside for Aaron Grandidier Nkanang to claim a try for the host.

That pulled France clear, and, with Fiji under pressure, Dupont crossed for a brace of well-taken tries in a script that could not have been written any better.

World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin praised local hero Dupont, telling reporters that what Dupont had achieved was “mind-boggling.”

Dupont ensured a 69,000-capacity crowd at the Stade de France, with World Rugby expecting more than half a million fans to attend the six days of sevens action.

The last time Dupont played at the stadium north of Paris was in October when France lost 29-28 to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal.

Dupont’s absence from the Six Nations to focus on making the Olympic team did not please many traditionalists.

But, his appearance at the Paris Games was a huge coup for French rugby as a whole and the organizers.

Six Nations tickets for 2025 will be available soon.