League of Nations

[miccloarch]

This wouldn't even be in the pipeline if it wasn't for Pichot. The whole thing is his idea. But sure, it's racist (you should be more careful with that word) to blame the Vice-President of World Rugby for something World Rugby did.

The fact that you think the Vice-Chairman of a corporation is the most powerful decision maker shows how much you know. Brett Gosper, Bill Beaumont, Steve Tew. Some names to put in your notebook.

 

[mania]

this proposal excludes the pacific nations. its time PI's started going to american football. more money less BS. with no internationals it makes it a simple season with more money.
someone from american samoa needs to start scoping out the next troyPolamalu

 

[smartcooky]

Batshit crazy idea.

Better to just have a single, annual "International Superbowl" match - Six Nations Winner v Rugby Championship Winner (and actually billed as such), at some major "neutral" NH stadium (San Siro, Wembley, Twickenham etc) at the end of every year.

The match actually happened last year when NZ played Ireland, and again in 2013 when NZ played Wales. Massive marketing opportunities lost IMO.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Pichot states "nothing is agreed, and I doubt it will..." and makes it pretty clear he isn't calling the shots on this. I think he is to be commended for responding to the public rather than sitting in an isolationist ivory tower taking unaccountable decisions to casually exclude developing nations from the top level of the sport for 12 years.

https://mobile.twitter.com/AP9_

Its fine getting outraged at Fiji being excluded, but you cant make that argument and say that the solution is the status quo.

 

[mdaclarke]

Rugby needs promotion/relegation to the 6N and RC more than it needs a league of nations. The tier 1 nations deserve a lot of the blame here. They're just as greedy as World Rugby, because in a sense, they are World Rugby. They seem to be calling the shots, and they're gonna sign off on this stupid idea because it benefits them. Pichot seems more like a PR spokesman than someone with real power so putting the blame on him is classic Eurocentric racism.

There is more chance of me walking on the moon or becoming prime minister of New Zealand (i'm not a New Zealander) than there is of the 6N or RC agreeing to promotion or relegation.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

So apparently this thing is dead already.

Players going public with their disdain was the final nail in the coffin.

SRU, RFU and IRFU were never on board to start with (those were the three named but I can't see any union being over the moon - bar USA and Japan)

 

[Leinster Fan]

So apparently this thing is dead already.

Players going public with their disdain was the final nail in the coffin.

SRU, RFU and IRFU were never on board to start with (those were the three named but I can't see any union being over the moon - bar USA and Japan)

It wasn't a good idea to begin with but it's been negotiated into something that no one wants at all. I doubt it can come back from the players comments.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Pacific nations voting on boycotting the world cup now. World rugby done a good one.

 

[Thingimubob]

Full article from the Beeb: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47418895

Hope this wakes World Rugby the f**k up...

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

It wasn't a good idea to begin with but it's been negotiated into something that no one wants at all. I doubt it can come back from the players comments.

It can succeed if it expands from 12 nations to 16 nations, includes a relegation/promotion playoff and takes place over a two year campaign.

Anything that excludes Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Georgia immediately is fatally flawed. Then there's World Cup qualifiers Canada, Namibia, Russia and Uruguay not to mention Romania and the fast improving Brazil. If the Eagles can barely beat Brazil, what chance do they have against New Zealand?!

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Full article from the Beeb: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47418895

Hope this wakes World Rugby the f**k up...

The main part from that article for me is that World Rugby are saying that relegation was "likely".

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

All this happening on Beaumont's watch. Probably pleased the knighthood was safely banked a couple of days ago.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Brett Gosper trying to claim that fan reaction was 'overwhelming positive'.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Luke Fitzgerald wants it in some form... Time to scrap it altogether lads!

 

[smartcooky]

I had a far better idea than this which I posted some years ago.

It was essentially a formalisation of the June Tours and Autumn Internationals that would have required no additional games to be played.

If I can find it, I'll repost it here.

 

[Toko_11]

Lets not talk as if World Rugby and Tier 1 aren't synonymous. Pacific Islands and Georgia+Rugby Europe are on the world rugby board but they were never invited or nor informed about their possible exclusion from the top tier rugby. In fact the last official information about this was the apparently "finalized schedule" which was supposed to increase the number of matches played between Tier 1 and Tier 2. Which in hindsight seems like a complete lie.

Lets call spade a spade. This was a negotiation between the 6 nations and Sanzar who were the only ones actually aware of the damn thing. Somewhere it went sour and dissatisfied parties leaked the information. Pichot is a mere pawn here, in fact most of Tier 1 would love to make him as scapegoat and get rid of his ass because he makes too much noise about the expansion and what not.

 

[Which Tyler]

Lets not talk as if World Rugby and Tier 1 aren't synonymous. Pacific Islands and Georgia+Rugby Europe are on the world rugby board but they were never invited or nor informed about their possible exclusion from the top tier rugby. In fact the last official information about this was the apparently "finalized schedule" which was supposed to increase the number of matches played between Tier 1 and Tier 2. Which in hindsight seems like a complete lie.

Lets call spade a spade. This was a negotiation between the 6 nations and Sanzar who were the only ones actually aware of the damn thing. Somewhere it went sour and dissatisfied parties leaked the information. Pichot is a mere pawn here, in fact most of Tier 1 would love to make him as scapegoat and get rid of his ass because he makes too much noise about the expansion and what not.

Given that the 6N was dead set against this - it really wasn't. This was a proposal by Pichot for what he thinks would be best for Argentine rugby; supported by Australia and New Zealand because it would bring them more money; and objected to by everybody else.
If we take Tier 1 nations to be 6N+QN, then 3 of the 10 supported it; with 6 opposed and... actually, I'm not sure SA's position.

It was a bloody stupid idea from the very first mutterings that should never have gotten beyond the first mutterings.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Given that the 6N was dead set against this - it really wasn't. This was a proposal by Pichot for what he thinks would be best for Argentine rugby; supported by Australia and New Zealand because it would bring them more money; and objected to by everybody else.
If we take Tier 1 nations to be 6N+QN, then 3 of the 10 supported it; with 6 opposed and... actually, I'm not sure SA's position.

It was a bloody stupid idea from the very first mutterings that should never have gotten beyond the first mutterings.

I'm pretty sure I heard South Africa were 'lukewarm at best'.

 

[Groundhog]

Name a more iconic duo. Global sporting organisations and being out of touch incompetents.

 

[Which Tyler]

I'm pretty sure I heard South Africa were 'lukewarm at best'.

I have them as abstaining in my head, bit no idea where I got that from