USA looms as potential host of Nations Championship Final

The USA looms as a potential host of the Nations Championship Final. Organizers are looking for a Plan B after staging the event in Doha, Qatar derailed. Doha was involved in exclusive negotiations for the biennial tournament.

Writing for City A.M., Matt Hughes reports that an agreement was close to being finalized but it was blocked by the Six Nations. The bloc did not have a common agreement with Hughes noting that England, Scotland and Wales were in favor.

Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa are unhappy with France and Ireland not favoring Doha. The bid was estimated at being £800m (US$1.26b) over six years. This represented £200m (US$257) per tournament for finals in Doha in 2026, 2028, 2030 and 2032.

North-South divisions may mean that the Six Nations face demands for tens of millions in compensation from New Zealand, South Africa and Australia following the Six Nations’ vetoing of the Qatari bid.

The outcome means a search is now on for where to stage the Nations Championship. No official bids are on the table. This leaves options such as playing in the UK or looking stateside. With the USA being the hosts of Rugby World Cup 2023, the USA option will be pushed by World Rugby.

World Rugby is already looking to take high profile rugby to the USA over the coming years. Chicago’s Solider Field is on track to host an Ireland vs New Zealand rematch in 2025. However, staging the Nations Championship Finals in the USA comes with a major flaw: the USA Eagles are not involved in the Nations Championship itself. The tournament will be exclusive to the Six Nations, Rugby Championship and two others with Fiji and Japan favored.