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For me, there's quite a large gap between "WR exerted no pressure" and "WR imposed this against the will of the establishment" - which illustrate my entire point .
Okay. If you ever feel like posting examples of when World Rugby have taken steps to encourage the merit based expansion of Tier 1 then please shout that from the rooftops. Although I would argue the English president and Scottish vice president are little more than stooges of the 6N unions, I do think we see signs outside the mens XVs game that World Rugby would not oppose a world where stupid Tiers existed. I would even say they made it clear they would prefer promotion / relegation withthe World League before seemingly completely capitulating to a 6N and (to a lesser extent) SANZAAR who are cosistently opposed to just that.
I do not consider a merit based expansion of the sport likely at a time when World Rugby are planning to give Tier1 a veto over who they play in mid year and end of year tests (so that they, like you, can say 6N and SANZAAR are private entities that cannot be forced to play people they don't want to). That is the crux of my argument. World Rugby are on the cusp of abandoning whatever limited influence they have on the future of international mens XVs by making the World League owned exclusively by 6N and SANZAAR who can then 'invite' whatever 2 nations they want to play and exclude all the rest.
I would also give World Rugby credit for their influence on 7s and women's rugby which have great formats that, unlike mens XVs, seemingly place no artificial obstacles infront of hard working unions with limit economic power. If you are competent and develop good players you can reach the top (unlike Georgian mens u20s).
For info, I do not create strawmen. I simply think you have a polar opposite experience of World Rugby to my personal experience. It happens.