This weekend’s Autumn Nations Series finale will captivate fans in front of full stadiums. To the slight bemusement, or at any rate irritation, of football and Gaelic friends of mine, this particularly applies to the Ireland-South Africa game, even though there are no trophies or tangible rewards on the line.
South Africa cannot even be toppled from the world’s number one ranking, and Ireland could conceivably rise to third or second, but cannot drop below their current mark of four. These two and New Zealand, England and Argentina are guaranteed a top-tier seeding for the World Cup draw on December 3rd, and most likely France will fill the other spot provided they avoid a beating by more than 15 points at home to Australia.
So, there is little apparent jeopardy attached to this weekend’s game, but therein lies much of the allure of the November matches. It’s just another brilliant match in the Ireland-Springboks rivalry.
Next year, that is set to change with the advent of the Nations Championship, and so the final round of Autumn Series games will determine the rankings from one to 12 among the dozen competing countries, ahead of a finals weekend in London, with the inaugural trophy to be fought for in Twickenham.
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It is the belief of World Rugby and the 12 Unions/Federations that it will give the summer tours in the southern hemisphere and end-of-year tours in the north more meaning and structure. And, most importantly, extra television money which are being pooled.
But at what cost?
Certainly, as with the Thursday night opener between France and Ireland in the Stade de France on February 5th, the paying spectators and particularly the travelling supporters don’t matter a damn to World Rugby any more than they do to the Six Nations. It’s all about the TV dosh.
And ironically, in the year when New Zealand and South Africa will renew old style tours when the All Blacks go there in 2026, and after another absorbing and money-spinning Lions tour of Australia, the introduction of the Nations Championship will effectively do away with traditional tours and series such as Ireland’s unforgettable five-match, three-Test tour to New Zealand in 2022. Gone forever more.
“It’s exciting because we’ve just seen those fixtures, so it’s great that we get to play them again this time next year, which is fantastic,” said Andy Farrell, trying his best to put a positive spin on all this on Thursday.
“The new competition is obviously exciting for everyone, because we’re all wondering how it’s going to play out. I suppose this time next year will everyone be getting excited about a semi-final/final.
“But if you ask me personally, I’ll be sad to see the traditional part of touring go. That’s just a personal thing. I love a three-game competition, seeing a country, finding out about yourselves on tour is always special. I love touring, and this is a little bit of different format. But I’m there to be won over, that’s for sure.”
You and many others Andy.
For southern hemisphere teams and their head coaches, a month-long trek to Europe is not nearly as taxing logistically. Each city is about one or two hours apart. It’s what their end-of-year tours are like anyway.
Granted, Ireland’s opening three-match foray down south in 2026 may interest some away fans, as it takes in games against both the Wallabies and Japan in Australia, and one Test against the All Blacks in New Zealand. But two years later, Ireland will be undertaking what England, Scotland and Wales are doing in 2026, namely with matches in South Africa and Argentina, along with a game against Fiji.
For example, as well as the Boks in South Africa and the Pumas in Argentina, England will play Fiji in Port Elizabeth in South Africa. That should pack them out. Not. But World Rugby and the unions and federations only care about the hoped-for increase in TV money.
And environment friendly the Nations Championship is not. English journalists have estimated that Steve Borthwick’s side will travel 17,000 miles in negotiating their three matches in 2026, the kind of itinerary which awaits Ireland in 2028.
The opening finals weekend in London on November 27th-29th in 2026 should, it’s true, be exciting and will logistically not be especially demanding.
But thereafter finals weekend is likely to be in Dubai in 2028 and the USA in 2030, as a precursor to the 2031 Rugby World Cup. So, the squads of a dozen countries will be expected to hop on planes to Dubai or the USA at a week’s notice?
Hence the competition’s moniker, The Jet Lag Cup!
And as for player welfare? Forget that too. How on earth do the players unions not stand up to the governing bodies more?
The Nations Championship is also a closed shop for the Six Nations and Rugby Championship countries, plus Japan and Fiji, which will further distance Samoa, Tonga and the rest from the top table.
In all of this, one can’t help but feel that the game’s governing bodies’ only solution to the financial woes hitting the game is to bleed the international game dry, and at the expense of competitions such as the URC and the Champions Cup, with the honourable exception of the booming French Championship – the best league in the world.
This Nations Championship is also being launched in July 2026, and so clashing with football’s World Cup. At the same time, or course, there’s no doubt that it also runs the very serious risk of devaluing the Rugby World Cup.
Apart from all that?
