2026 Nations Championships

[Demfad]

ABs, Italy, Wallabies, Wales, Boks, Pumas.

I’m not really bothered about the competition but I’ll still watch the matches, international rugby is always a good watch regardless of context.

On of the only pluses is that it will allow promotion and relegation for Tier2 teams and allows Tier2s some more structured competition.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

ABs, Italy, Wallabies, Wales, Boks, Pumas.

I’m not really bothered about the competition but I’ll still watch the matches, international rugby is always a good watch regardless of context.

Yep.
Just because I've no interest in the tournament doesn't mean I'll pass up the opportunity to watch good rugby. But I'll pick and choose what to watch - so all a bit like the "old" SIs and AIs then.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

Beat Fiji, Argentina away and Australia and Japan at home and England are most likely in the running come the last league match in November.
If Ireland and France lose to both Australia and NZ away (entirely possible) then its between England and Scotland for best NH team probably.

Define "best"
We already know who the best NHS team is, and it isn't England or Scotland.

 

[Demfad]

Define "best"
We already know who the best NHS team is, and it isn't England or Scotland.

'Best' NH team in the context of NC rules is obviously the team highest ranked after all 6 NC matches are played.

 

[Ddanno]

I always like watching Japan and Fiji, so I'm pleased they're getting a hit out as well.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

'Best' NH team in the context of NC rules is obviously the team highest ranked after all 6 NC matches are played.

So... "best" is about luck of the draw, but nothing to do with being better than the alternatives then.

Good to know.

 

[Rugbyfan564]

I didn't realise, until the commentators were paid to wax lyrical about how cool this god awful competition is gonna be, that they've got a stupid hemisphere trophy with teams earning their hemisphere points

Whole thing is so embarrassingly lame - hopefully this is the first, and last, iteration of it

It’s nailed on for 2028. Being on ITV will get it plenty more attention in the UK than any other non Six Nations/RWC/Lions rugby has got in years

 

[Demfad]

So... "best" is about luck of the draw, but nothing to do with being better than the alternatives then.

Good to know.

I don't know what you mean by this. 'Best' was a phrase I used to describe who finishes top of the NH pile after the 6 matches are completed in November. Don't take it as a personal attack on your nation.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

So yes, "best" means "who gets the best draw" not "who is the better team".
Really not sure how I'd be taking it as an attack against England though, given that you want to unfairly promote them above better teams. It would seem that if I'm offended about anything, it's your use of the English language.

Maybe "top of their conference" would have been better terminology than "best". Word do have meanings, after all.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Well, we've managed to have a more pointless discussion on here than the one that led to this competition being formed anyway.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

I love for how the championship it's guaranteed to between two teams that have already played each other. Three teams could go undefeated and it would come down to BP and point differential.

 

[Demfad]

So yes, "best" means "who gets the best draw" not "who is the better team".
Really not sure how I'd be taking it as an attack against England though, given that you want to unfairly promote them above better teams. It would seem that if I'm offended about anything, it's your use of the English language.

Maybe "top of their conference" would have been better terminology than "best". Word do have meanings, after all.

No. Best in the the context of the finishing order of the NH group is obviously the nation who finishes top of the NH group. It is probably true that England and Scotland have an easier Nations Championship schedule than Ireland or France but that's a different discussion.

"Maybe "top of their conference" would have been better terminology than "best". Word do have meanings, after all."

"Anal" and "Condescending" have meanings too son...

 

[Welsh Exile]

Wales are the best. We’re on a 1 game unbeaten winning streak.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

Yes dear

 

[Groundhog]

This competition is cash grabbing, Wolrd Cup diluting slop. That said, this piggy is bored and yearns for the slop trough.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

The second tier definitely serves a purpose in getting us actual game time against similar opponents. The tier 1s already had a pretty good schedule I thought. Now we get a mini World Cup and 18 games between NZ and South Africa. And yes I’ll watch them all.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Qatar Airways has put its £80m sponsorship of rugby union’s new Nations Championship on hold due to the fallout from the war in the Middle East.
The Guardian has learned that while the state-owned airline remains committed to the deal, contracts have not been signed, and the inaugural edition of the new competition will kick off next week without a title sponsor.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...ions-championship-rugby-union-war-middle-east

https://archive.ph/qtaNW


Lol, the farce gets farcier

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

So they’re “hoping” for a strong week of sales to get to 80 or 90% capacity for Boks v Eng. Ellis Park may be iconic, but it’s also pretty teeny at 62,500 capacity.

Does anyone actually give a monkeys about this?

 

[Saintjay]

So they’re “hoping” for a strong week of sales to get to 80 or 90% capacity for Boks v Eng. Ellis Park may be iconic, but it’s also pretty teeny at 62,500 capacity.

Does anyone actually give a monkeys about this?

Putting it on as the football world Cup goes into the last 32, was extremely well thought out.

 

[Brown Bottle]

Putting it on as the football world Cup goes into the last 32, was extremely well thought out.

But who'd have thought SA would still be involved?

 

[saulan]

So they’re “hoping” for a strong week of sales to get to 80 or 90% capacity for Boks v Eng. Ellis Park may be iconic, but it’s also pretty teeny at 62,500 capacity.

Does anyone actually give a monkeys about this?

The issue with sales has nothing to do with the appeal of the tournament (it’s still a test match against England, that has draw appeal). The issue is that SARU has significantly hiked up the ticket prices of SA games over the last two years which has made it unaffordable for the majority of South Africans.

Historically the cheapest tickets for this kind of game would probably have been around R250 or £13ish, with the majority of tickets being around R500-R1,000 (£25-45ish). Now the cheapest are R950 (£43) with a high proportion at R2,350-3,000 (£106-136ish).

That might not too high from a European perspective, but keep in mind that the SA median monthly income is R5.5k-ish (£250ish) and an unemployment rate of 33% (43% when you include those that have given up looking for work) and you can see how that amount just isn’t going to work out in the market. (Mean average income is R30k or £1.3k, but SA has significant inequality, so it isn’t a far reflection of the reality of the broader economy).

Add to that SARU have openly commented that they were targeting lower capacity (think it was like 70%) last year when they first did this, because they knew the higher ticket prices and lower capacity meant more profit than lower prices and full capacity. It’s a bit sad really.

 

[higgik]

On of the only pluses is that it will allow promotion and relegation for Tier2 teams and allows Tier2s some more structured competition.

But not for a few iterations!!!
Think regional events every 4 years would help the T2 teams better.

 

[Demfad]

But not for a few iterations!!!
Think regional events every 4 years would help the T2 teams better.

There are currently yearly regional events.
Presumably certain Tier1s were more sensitive to allowing relegation and thus 2031 was a compromise

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Add to that SARU have openly commented that they were targeting lower capacity (think it was like 70%) last year when they first did this, because they knew the higher ticket prices and lower capacity meant more profit than lower prices and full capacity. It’s a bit sad really.

More than a bit.

Great post BTW.

 

[ikvat]

France probable squad :

15. Attissogbe or Spring ; 14. Penaud, 13. Brau-Boirie, 12. Moefana, 11. Grandidier-Nkanang or Attissogbe ; 10. Jalibert, 9. Lucu (cap.) ; 7. Jegou, 8. Gazzotti, 6. Bochaton ; 5. Staniforth, 4. Auradou ; 3. Bamba, 2. Lamothe, 1. Poirot.


Subs :

16. Massa or Mauvaka, 17. Wardi, 18. Montagne, 19. Guillard, 20. Tixeront, 21. Le Garrec, 22. Hastoy, 23. Spring ou Depoortere.

 

[ChicagoKid]

More than a bit.

Great post BTW.

The issue with sales has nothing to do with the appeal of the tournament (it’s still a test match against England, that has draw appeal). The issue is that SARU has significantly hiked up the ticket prices of SA games over the last two years which has made it unaffordable for the majority of South Africans.

Historically the cheapest tickets for this kind of game would probably have been around R250 or £13ish, with the majority of tickets being around R500-R1,000 (£25-45ish). Now the cheapest are R950 (£43) with a high proportion at R2,350-3,000 (£106-136ish).

That might not too high from a European perspective, but keep in mind that the SA median monthly income is R5.5k-ish (£250ish) and an unemployment rate of 33% (43% when you include those that have given up looking for work) and you can see how that amount just isn’t going to work out in the market. (Mean average income is R30k or £1.3k, but SA has significant inequality, so it isn’t a far reflection of the reality of the broader economy).

Add to that SARU have openly commented that they were targeting lower capacity (think it was like 70%) last year when they first did this, because they knew the higher ticket prices and lower capacity meant more profit than lower prices and full capacity. It’s a bit sad really.

The problem is the entire rugby universe -- particularly in Southern Hemisphere countries -- is completely reliant on 6-7 home tests per year.

The U-20 loses money
The Currie Cup loses money
The URC teams lose money
The Women Boks lose money

Every single aspect of SARU and the broader South African rugby ecosystem relies on the Springboks not only making $$, but making enough to subsidize down the entire pyramid.

This is fundamentally a broken system.

The only country to realize this AND make drastic changes is France.

 

[Demfad]

Excellent opening test. Both teams played well. NZ immediately look more like RWC contenders. Ruck speed off the scale.
Transition attacking from NZ even from deep offering at worst excellent exits. Both teams will have learned loads.
France showing depth that will be needed late in a RWC run. Do France dig that deep if not part of a tournament match. I would say not.
Two match points for France may be significant come November.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

pretty pathetic from Italy

 

[Reiser99]

pretty pathetic from Italy

Yeah, they should be disappointed.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

don't think we need a separate thread for the cup but Georgia just beat Uruguay by a try. Would have expected a larger difference.