Six Nations Format Change Haulted? World League Plans Announced

According to the media, the Six Nations may need more support from players due to their plan to eliminate one of their rest weeks in a contentious decision.

Starting in 2026, tournament organizers have suggested shortening the competition from seven to six weeks, providing players with only one weekend off throughout the Championship.

The tournament change was favored because it would benefit the fans with Six Nations tickets and keep the tournament momentum alive. 

The organizers hoped that this change would bring a revitalized spirit in the fan following, with them able to purchase Six Nations tickets for six straight weeks. 

The proposal arose during negotiations between unions and clubs about a new world league that would be held biennially and begin in 2026.

According to Telegraph Sport, rugby governing bodies have agreed upon a new blueprint for a global league featuring a “grand final” every two years between the northern and southern hemisphere teams.

This will be an epic showdown of the sport as the Six Nations fans have more enhanced rugby action to savor.

Additionally, the Six Nations Championship will be ringfenced under this plan. The new league structure, set to begin in 2026, will include only summer and autumn window games and comprise two groups of six teams from each hemisphere, namely the Six Nations and Rugby Championship sides.

The inclusion of Japan and Fiji is also expected. 

New Format for World League

The current format of the Six Nations Championship will be ringfenced, ending South Africa’s hopes of joining the European competition or of introducing promotion and relegation.

In the July window, northern hemisphere sides will play three southern opponents away from home, ending the traditional summer tours of two or three Tests against one host country.

The fixtures will be replicated at the home venues of the northern hemisphere nations in the November window, with the top team from each pool facing each other in a grand final and ranking play-off games for the others.  

The tournament will be held every two years from 2026, with fixtures rotated so that every side plays against each other over a two-tournament cycle

From 2030, promotion and relegation could be introduced to provide a pathway from a second-tier competition, which is expected to be launched next year for nations including Georgia, Samoa, and Tonga.

All stakeholders are confident it will not diminish the Rugby World Cup’s status, and it will be marketed as a battle of the hemispheres.

The future of the British and Irish Lions tours will be secured, and in Lions years, countries will be able to stage traditional tours as normal and include more fixtures against tier-two countries to enhance their development.

Qatar to Host Grand Finale! 

Qatar has reportedly entered advanced negotiations to host the World Rugby Nations Championship finals with Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR.

The biennial tournament is set to begin in 2026 with a top division of 12 teams (the Six Nations unions, SANZAAR unions, and two further unions) and a second division, run by World Rugby, consisting of 12 more nations.

The Nations Championship will be played during the July and November international windows. Every other summer, the Six Nations teams tour the southern hemisphere for three Tests before hosting three matches in November.

Initially, World Rugby didn’t reveal plans for a ‘finals series’, but Qatar has made a pitch to host such an event, according to a report by the Telegraph.

Qatar’s bid

Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy reportedly pitched the idea to all 12 nations that will compete in the Nations Championship top division last month and have now been granted an exclusive two-month negotiation period.

According to the report, the bid has been dubbed the “Super Bowl of Rugby,” as Qatar proposes a three-day sporting festival at multiple venues in Doha, where the 2022 FIFA World Cup final was hosted. For the fans with Six Nations tickets, it becomes a perfect opportunity to 

The proposal includes guarantees of £800 million in revenue for Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR for the first four editions of the final series.

With travel to the Southern Hemisphere nations being extremely expensive, almost every rugby fan would take the option of making it to Qatar for a clash between two of the best sides in the world. 

Additionally, there is more international rugby for the regulars with Six Nations tickets. 

IMG reportedly tabled a rival offer to the two governing bodies but, according to the report, opted to pursue the Qatari option instead.

World Rugby’s Involvement

World Rugby is understood to be involved in the talks, but the final decision will be made by Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, which will run the first division of the Nations Championship.

Unsurprisingly, the report has already drawn criticism from fans considering Qatar’s stance on multiple human rights issues, but the potential revenues for the rugby unions could sway the governing bodies.

One of the biggest concerns would be whether enough fans would travel to the Middle East for the final series and the player welfare aspect of adding another fixture to an already bloated calendar.

Qatar’s interest in hosting a final series also follows World Rugby’s publishing of a ‘landmark’ report on the projected impacts of climate change on rugby.

Women’s Six Nations Dates Announced

Ireland will open next year’s Women’s Six Nations with a home match against France on Saturday, March 22nd, and finish their campaign with a trip to play Scotland on Saturday, April 26th.

Ireland lost 38-17 to the French in Le Mans in the opening round of last year’s Championship, finishing third behind France and Grand Slam winners England.

Scott Bemand’s side heads to Italy for their second game on Sunday, March 30th, before a two-week break leads into the home match with England on Saturday, April 12th.

Ireland travels to Wales on Easter Sunday, April 20th, before finishing up as the first game of the final day on Saturday, April 26th.

Six Nations tickets for the Women’s Six Nations will be available soon.