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The USA, and Japan are reportedly set to join the Rugby Championship, reports Gregor Paul for the New Zealand Herald. The publication notes that World Rugby is to establish a 12-team ‘World League’ which sees the USA and Japan joining the existing ten countries who comprise the Six Nations and Rugby Championship tournaments.
The tournament and format are the brainchild of World Rugby Vice-Chairman Agustín Pichot. The former Argentine captain has been pushing for a way to bring new meaning and much added financial power to the international game outside of RWCs.
The competition is set to begin in 2020 with unions presently finalizing the details. The Herald notes that the 12 unions are set to gain annually between US$6.84 and US$9.6 million each from the World League.
With the 2019 Six Nations still ongoing it is understood that the announcement will not be made until after the tournament and potentially before the start of this year’s Rugby Championship. While an announcement is expected within as short of a timeframe as one month the final details are believed to be withheld until the completion of RWC 2019.
Both existing competitions are to renew their broadcasting rights ahead of the start of international competition in 2020. This means each of Argentina, Australia, England, France, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales must agree to their respective national broadcasters and to the overall deal itself.
The World League will see the twelve unions all playing each other once a year. There is to then be a final taking place in Europe in either late November or early December. Japan and the USA will join the Rugby Championship to see both competitions having six competitors. This will change the Rugby Championship with there no longer being home-and-away matches for all teams.
Missing from the 12-team World League is promotion and relegation. This means that although the USA and Japan are set to gain tremendously there is to be no way in for Georgia, the world’s no 12. Also absent is the world no 9 Fiji with both joining Canada, Samoa, and Tonga among others as being absent for at least a ten year period.
The 2020 international season is expected to see Argentina, and the USA both beginning in July. Both are to host incoming tours with three matches expected during the international window. This also sees the June Internationals moving into July.
Exactly who will be touring Argentina, and the USA remains unknown. The same is true of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa. It is, however, understood that the Six Nations unions will be allocated tours at random. As an example this would mean France, Italy, and Wales tour Argentina, the USA, and South Africa to play oner test each in July 2020.
The July Internationals will then be followed by the Rugby Championship in August, September, and October. The competition will utilize a round-robin format with each team hosting one home test against the other every two years. This will mean two home games for some and three for others with it changing from one year to the next, thereby replicating the Six Nations.
In November the six Rugby Championship unions will then tour Europe to face the three sides who they did not play in July. Using the above example as reference this would mean Argentina, South Africa, and the USA would play away to England, Ireland, and Scotland.
Chicago’s Soldier Field has been noted as one possible venue to stage the World League Final. Also mentioned is Camp Nou, the home of Barcelona which hosted the a club world record 99,124 fans for the 2016 Top 14 Final between Racing 92 and Toulon.
