First up, Happy New Year, everyone, and apologies that, apart from the TV page, December was relatively quiet, to say the least. Incredibly hectic end-of-year work schedules and all the regular holiday chaos meant there was little or no time for rugby chinwags. Also, although plenty of rugby was played, we find December slightly less intense after the November International window. Sure, there was the start of the European Champions and Challenge Cups. Still, in their current format, these Pool games rarely fire the imagination as high-stakes affairs, despite some exceptionally high-quality and entertaining matches. As the last two rounds of that Competition’s Pool stages take place this month, our enthusiasm still remains relatively low, with very little at stake for some of the teams involved. It’s not until next month, at the start of the Six Nations, and as teams begin to look toward the business end of the European leagues, that things get really interesting again.
As a result, although on the TV page we’ll point you to the best games to catch in the Champions and Challenge Cups this weekend, this opening piece of 2026 will not feature our usual “what to watch and why.” Instead, we’ll focus on looking ahead this year and the most significant question marks clouding our crystal balls, which have got us the most animated over our first pints of the year. First and most essential for us here in Canada, how can Canada’s extraordinary Women build on the success of last year’s World Cup and ensure that they are once more genuine contenders for a place in the final at the next global showpiece in Australia in 2029? Talking of Australia, given that the Land Down Under will be hosting the next Men’s World Cup in 2027, how can the Wallabies put themselves in a position of being able to challenge for the spoils in their Home event, given the roller coaster ride they went through in 2025 and the uncertainty that lies ahead? Can Ireland reverse what appears to be a downward spiral, gaining momentum with every outing and an apparent lack of direction and willingness to embrace what the “next gen” Ireland should look like? Talking of World Cups, can anyone stop South Africa from snatching a triple? If so, will it be England or France? Finally, can anyone get their head around the inaugural edition of this year’s highly controversial Nations Championship?
Given these conundrums are what caused quite a few spilled pints in our first round table of the year, let’s get stuck into it!
2025 was a watershed year for Women’s Rugby and, in particular, for Canada. What does it look like going forward?
Last year was a special year for Women’s Rugby and one in which Canada showed they are a genuine force to be reckoned with going forward. While Canada may have fallen short at the final hurdle against England, against a backdrop of a packed Twickenham and a Red Rose side already on an incredible 32-game winning streak, it still doesn’t detract from Canada’s extraordinary performance at the World Cup. A team that had to crowd-fund itself to get there in the first place was more than worthy of being runners-up, and their progress through the tournament highlighted what could be done if a genuine commitment is made to the Women’s programme in this country.
Among the top eight Women’s Teams in the World, with Canada ranked second, the World Cup showcased how far the Women’s game has come and produced some genuinely thrilling contests. Women’s Rugby has arrived at long last, and with it the ability to build a loyal, ever-growing fan base that can secure lucrative broadcasting rights and drive ticket sales. If all this interest and potential revenue can be channelled into continuing to grow the game, then the sky is the limit.
As for Canada, the highlight of their World Cup was, without a doubt, that remarkable Semi-Final performance against New Zealand. The enormity of that game and what it did for the Women’s code cannot be underestimated. As readers of this blog know from the TV page, Squidge Rugby is one of our most respected sources, and in his 288 greatest moments of 2025, he ranks that game as THE number one highlight of the year. To quote his comment on the game, “Canada played the fastest game of Rugby Union ever seen. No side in the history of the sport, male, female, or International, has ever achieved a lower average ruck speed than Tessier’s team that night!”
During the World Cup, Canada not only captured the hearts and minds of every neutral but also fundamentally changed the way the game is played. It was thrilling stuff, and Coaches around the World in both the Men’s and the Women’s game sat up and took notice. Admittedly, England studied Canada’s game plan and found ways to counter it in the Final. No, it’s not necessarily a blueprint for guaranteed success, but if you tweak it to adapt to your opponents’ strengths and weaknesses, it will be hard to beat.
Canada left the World Cup knowing that while their style of play will need to be fine-tuned going forward, as others figure them out and simply deny them the ability to play at such a pace, the brain trust led by Coach Kevin Rouet is more than capable of taking this team to the next level and adapting their style of play accordingly. Canada is fortunate to have a golden generation in Women’s Rugby at the moment. Given the fact that the average age of the matchday 23 that took to the pitch at Twickenham for the final is still only 29, there is plenty of life left in this squad for the next World Cup in Australia in 2029. The big challenge will be to continue developing the growing conveyor belt of young talent that Canada seems to be producing, given that girls’ rugby is seeing strong uptake at the school and university levels.
Coach Kevin Rouet’s talents have recently been recognized, as he is on temporary loan to the English side Saracens for the 2025/26 Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) season as attack Coach. This will only strengthen his already impressive resume and provide him with insights into Canada’s biggest threat, England, and the inner workings of the most prestigious and high-level women’s competition in the World. All of these will then get fed back into Canada’s preparations for an exciting season this year, starting with the Pacific Four Tournament in April and then the WXV Tier One competition in September/October. Meanwhile, Rouet’s presence in England this winter will help solidify pathways for Canadian players to secure contracts with PWR teams. There is also growing representation of Canadians in New Zealand’s Super Rugby Aupiki and France’s Élite 1 Féminine.
To say that we are excited about what the future holds for Women’s Rugby in this country is probably going to be the understatement of the year. Another positive has been that their success seems to have rubbed off on the Men’s programme, which, although it has a long way to go to catch up, we felt they finally had some positive moments this year, even if the wins were relatively few and far between. However, we still argue that, going forward, the priority for rugby in this country should be to build on the success of Canada’s Women’s programme as the top priority. The country has gotten behind it and embraced its success, and fans from Victoria to St. John’s will demand that resources are allocated accordingly. If that is done, then the journey to the next Women’s World Cup will be one we’ll all be talking about for generations to come!
In just over a year, Australia will host the World Cup. Are their beloved Wallabies ready despite moments of exceptional promise in 2025?
Australia are at an important crossroads in 2026. In August, influential and highly experienced International Coach Joe Schmidt will hand over the reins to his successor, current Queensland Reds Head Coach Les Kiss. Kiss served as an Assistant Coach under Schmidt for a few years while the New Zealander was the Irish head Coach. The two know each other well, and many are calling it a natural progression, akin to Andy Farrell taking over the Head Coaching job at Ireland from Schmidt in 2019. Farrell’s tenure was shaky at first, but he soon transformed Ireland into one of the top sides in the World, even if their World Cup demons returned to haunt them in 2023.
The Wallabies had a hectic schedule in 2025, playing 15 Tests, of which they won only 5. However, the nature of some of those wins perhaps highlighted the potential this side has. Consequently, despite a meagre 33% win rate, Australian supporters should still feel optimistic about 2026 and the buildup to their own home World Cup next year, despite the Coaching uncertainties they will face this year. Let’s face it: anyone familiar with this blog knows we are decidedly not in favour of a Coaching change, just a year out from a World Cup. Nevertheless, harness some of the extraordinary talent in this Wallaby side, resolve the ongoing crisis with the 10 jersey, and there is no reason to doubt Australia’s ability to be a genuinely competitive and hard-to-beat side on home soil.
It was that extraordinary win at one of International Rugby’s great Cathedrals, Johannesburg’s Ellis Park, last summer against the Springboks, that is the primary building block of our unwavering optimism. Agreed, you could argue the Springboks were slightly undercooked and that it was one of only two Tests they lost, but the nature of the win was rather special, to say the least. 22-0 down to South Africa and looking clearly outclassed in the 28th minute, the Wallabies turned the game around and simply never looked back, going on to win by scoring 38 unanswered points at a ground that is notoriously cruel to visiting sides. It was one of the greatest comebacks we’ve ever had the privilege of witnessing and deserves to be celebrated and applauded by rugby fans around the globe, no matter what jersey they wear and a fine accolade to Australia after denying the Lions a clean sweep in that epic Final Test of the British and Irish visitors Tour in appalling conditions.
However, for the rest of the year, it was not such a pretty picture as on their November Tour of Europe; the Wallabies emerged winless, despite a narrow, scrappy win over Japan along the way. Admittedly, ongoing injuries, most notably to outstanding fullback Tom Wright after the second Test against South Africa at the halfway point of their season, did not help their cause. However, as the season wore on, Australia began to lose its shape and form. Schmidt has sometimes been accused of giving his players too much structure and making their play overly system-based. Given Australia’s love of open play and free-running rugby, it could be argued that this approach tripped them up at times as a long, arduous season started to take its toll.
We’d argue, however, that Australia’s problems are less to do with Schmidt and more to do with the ongoing lack of a consistent and reliable playmaker in the ten jersey. One of Australia’s traditional weaknesses, a porous defence, has been improved under Schmidt. However, it could still do with some further work, and their set-piece work has dramatically improved, so we’d argue that the allegation that Australia are becoming system- and process-heavy under the New Zealand Coach doesn’t really hold much water. Without these foundations, the Wallabies’ season would have been a lot less inspiring.
Australia used 6 different fly halves in 2025, with arguably Tane Edmed being the weakest, even though he played more time in the jersey than any other. However, that was primarily because Australia’s casualty wards were full of their regular choice of fly halves. Carter Gordon looked promising in his only appearance against Italy, with many arguing that the Rugby League man is the way forward, much as another Rugby League convert, Joseph Sua’ali’i, who has been such a revelation for the Wallabies in the centre channels, until being subbed off against Italy with an ongoing injury that has plagued him all season. James O’Connor had some big moments, but the 35-year-old is not a long-term solution for the World Cup. In our view, Tom Lynagh was Australia’s most promising option, but he too had a season plagued by injury.
Where Australia go from here is a nagging question. In the back row, Harry Wilson is a genuinely outstanding Captain and Leader. Their back row in general is powerful and mobile, with Fraser McReight being a genuine world-class player. Their second-row stocks are reliable and show some depth, and the front row, although inconsistent at times, shows promise. At scrum half, they are no slouches, and their back line, with the likes of Harry Potter, the exceptional Max Jorgenson and Tom Wright when back from injury, is electric. There is perhaps not as much depth in their squad as they would like, and this remains a problem, but overall, when fit, this team can beat anyone on their day.
As for the Coaching change, we feel this is something the Wallabies could really do without, and we’re not sure Les Kiss will be able to effectively address the concerns Australia face at this crucial stage in their World Cup preparation. Under Kiss’ tutelage last Super Rugby season, the Reds managed only a 57% win rate, and Ulster didn’t fare much better during his tenure as Director of Rugby there before that or with London Irish, despite the financial problems that seriously jeopardized the English Premiership Club during Kiss’ tenure. Schmidt has always said his time with the Wallabies was limited by family commitments, and you have to respect him for it. There are growing rumours that Schmidt will act in an advisory capacity to the Wallabies from afar once he leaves at the end of July this year, and will probably have some capacity with them come the World Cup.
Australia have a challenging year ahead, starting with the home rounds of the inaugural Nations Championship, which sees them play Ireland, France and Italy. That’s followed by two Tests, home and away, against Japan, with Les Kiss taking over, and then a two-Test tour of Argentina. They then return to Australia for a game against South Africa, followed by the traditional two-test home-and-away format of the Bledisloe Cup against New Zealand. They end the year in Europe facing England, Scotland and Wales in the Nations Championship.
In conclusion, we really want to see the Wallabies do well this year, as we thoroughly enjoyed their high points last year and we feel they have the potential to rise to the challenges ahead of them; however, the structural and injury problems that continue to plague them, the uncertainties of a Coaching change so late in a World Cup cycle, and the lack of a nailed-on fly-half mean that 2026 will be an uphill battle for the Wallabies. As they showed us emphatically at times last year, International Rugby is a much better place with a strong Wallaby side, so let’s hope we get our wishlist fulfilled this year.
Early indications suggest the Springboks are on course to win their third consecutive World Cup, and at this stage, it’s really only England who look like they can stop them, and possibly France?
At the beginning of last year, if you’d told us that the Springboks were for all intents and purposes going to be unbeatable this year, we’d have been a tad skeptical, to say the least. While we recognized that their quality was there in spades, we felt that there was a certain predictability to their style of play that could ultimately be negated. By the time 2025 drew to a close and the Springboks had won 13 of their 15 games, the awe factor had kicked in, and we collectively wondered how we could have been so naive at the start of the year. Their two losses, one to Australia on home soil and the other to the All Blacks at the seemingly impregnable Eden Park, appeared to be nothing more than blips on the radar. Perhaps the only real chink in South Africa’s armour was exposed when Argentina ran them ragged at Twickenham in the final game of the Rugby Championship, and the Pumas were unlucky not to walk away with the spoils. However, what that match and so many others have shown since South Africa’s seemingly dominant tilt at the Webb Ellis Cup began in Japan in 2019 is that the Springboks know how to close out big games even when their backs are against the wall, unlike any other side out there right now.
Perhaps more than any other side, South Africa appears to have blended the old with the new. Even if stalwart servants like Captain Siya Kolisi and second-rower Eben Etzebeth are coming to the tail end of remarkable careers, they show very few, if any, signs of it. There is definitely one more tilt at a World Cup windmill left in them. Meanwhile, in Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, they have unearthed a once-in-a-generation talent at fly-half. The sheer brute force of a side whose physicality is now legendary is plain for all to see, but so is an attacking game that becomes more subtle and refined with every outing. They are quite simply the most innovative and most complete rugby team on the planet right now, with a Coach in the shape of Rassie Erasmus who very rarely plays the same game twice.
So in reality, who can knock them off their perch next year? You would naturally think that New Zealand would be in the driver’s seat in this regard, but the All Blacks under Scott Robertson have looked ominous at times, but rarely convincing with any degree of consistency. Furthermore, the All Blacks and the Springboks are destined to meet in the Quarter-Finals. In New Zealand’s present state, we fear that it may be too big a bridge to cross too soon in the tournament, especially if they come unstuck in the Pool stages against Tournament hosts Australia, which is not beyond the realms of possibility.
In our humble opinion, England is South Africa’s biggest threat, followed by France. England may still not be the complete package, but they know how to win and are getting more inventive in how they do it with every outing. Possessing an extremely abrasive forward pack with crowd-pleasing wild cards like Henry Pollock, who thrive on Ben Earl’s turnovers and forward momentum, England have successfully reinvented themselves and, with any sort of head of steam, are proving increasingly difficult to derail. George Ford at fly-half has matured from being more than just the king of drop goals into an all-round conductor of England’s attack while managing to remain as calm as South Africa’s Handre Pollard in a hurricane. We’re still not 100% convinced of what England sees as their go-to Hooker bet for the World Cup or even fullback, but everywhere else across the park, their options are shaping up rather nicely.
And then there’s France! Ah les Bleus, we hear you say. On a good day, they are simply remarkable, blessed with depth across the park that perhaps only South Africa can rival at the moment. The problem is that for every great day France has, there is always a horror show lurking in the background, waiting to trip them up when they least expect it. Coach Fabien Galthie often struggles to be consistent in his selection decisions. As a result, a team of remarkably gifted individuals plays as exactly that rather than a well-drilled unit that knows precisely what to expect of each other. Scrum half Antoine Dupont and winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey are probably two of the greatest rugby players we’ve seen so far this century, all allied to a group of truly bruising and mobile forwards and some god given talent in the backs. They are blessed with visionary fly-halves in the shape of Romain Ntamack and Matthieu Jalibert, and a plethora of understudies across the park in every position, making France’s depth arguably the best in the world, as its domestic competition, the TOP14, is widely regarded as the global benchmark in club rugby.
Consequently, this year’s Six Nations will give us a fascinating insight into which of these two teams can challenge South Africa’s current dominance. France is the defending champion and has the luxury this year of facing its biggest threat, England, at the Stade de France. Their only other potential banana skin is Ireland, but that will be played in Paris as well. England also has the luxury of Ireland at Twickenham, but some challenging road trips to Murrayfield, along with that Super Saturday decider against France in Paris. For us, the big litmus Test for France will be their trip to Murrayfield. Scotland always has at least one big Six Nations game in them, and their privilege of hosting both England and France in this year’s Six Nations could derail both of the front-runners.
So, as we say, we reserve judgment until the Six Nations concludes on the likelihood of England or France challenging South Africa’s reign next year in Australia. However, either way, it will be the first significant waypoint on the way to Sydney next year for all of us rugby fans to ponder. There is still the matter of the Rugby Nations Championship after the Six Nations, but more on that later. For now, we imagine many South African fans will be focused on what happens at the Stade de France on Saturday, March 14th!
Ireland has the potential to return to their former lofty heights, but without the will or initiative to embrace genuine change, a slippery slope awaits it in 2026. As a result, it’s a make-or-break year for the Men in Green!
Much like Australia, albeit without the Coaching upheaval the Wallabies are due to be subjected to this year, Ireland is a side in transition, or so we’d like to think. The evidence broadly indicates that, while it would seem to be the case for the most part, the transition hasn’t happened quickly or aggressively enough since Ireland’s 4th successive World Cup Quarter-Final exit in eight attempts. The result is that Ireland now has to play catch-up quickly, and time is clearly running out for all concerned. Some progress has been made, but, like Australia, Ireland remains no closer to determining who should wear the number 10 jersey for the Men in Green. Some new talent is finally starting to assert its authority on Andy Farrell’s selection decisions across the park. However, far too many of the old guard are still getting the nod despite a consistent drop in form.
It’s time to ring the changes in Ireland, and that must start with this year’s Six Nations. Ireland has been handed a relatively easy ride through the first few rounds of the World Cup, and given the draw, the potential for them to finally make it out of a Quarter-Final on the right side of the scoreboard is a realistic possibility. However, Ireland’s most likely Quarter-Final opponents would appear to be Argentina and given the Pumas’ depth at fly-half compared to Ireland’s complete uncertainty around the position, shades of 2015 look set to come back to haunt the Men in Green once more.
Where does the axe need to fall? We hear you ask. Sadly, we’d argue the entire front and second rows need a complete overhaul, except Hooker, though Ireland’s dart throwing at lineout really does need to develop some consistency; however, in Sheehan and Kelleher, we trust. However, either side of the exceptional Sheehan, the scrum needs shoring up. We’re not sure Ireland can really stomach another year of Andrew Porter’s costly infringements, and, sadly, as good as he is, Tadgh Furlong simply isn’t hitting the high notes of old as often as required. Some of the youngsters like Paddy McCarthy and Thomas Clarkson need to be fast-tracked this Six Nations. Ireland’s second row stocks need to focus on the likes of the already established Tadgh Beirne and youngsters like Joe McCarthy, with utility forward Ryan Baird used as a jumper as and when needed. Sadly, the likes of James Ryan and Ian Henderson need to start stepping aside to make way for some of Ulster and Munster’s talent in the second row. Meanwhile, in the back row, Ireland can afford to take a steadier-as-she-goes approach with what they have at the moment, but there are still youngsters across the provinces who need more of a look-in than just an all-Leinster back row, as talented as it may be.
At scrum half, an answer needs to be found for Jamison Gibson-Park’s replacement. He clearly still has one big World Cup left in him, but an injury, and all of a sudden, Ireland looks incredibly weak, especially when allied to the ongoing struggles with the ten jersey. Furthermore, there is no getting away from the uncomfortable truth that Gibson-Park had some definite wobbles in 2025 and a few games he and Andy Farrell would probably prefer to sweep under the carpet. While there is a complete lack of clarity surrounding the ten jersey, the nine jersey is plagued by a lack of genuine depth.
As for the fly-half debate, we are left just as unsure at the end of 2025 as we were at the beginning. Farrell appears to have decided to prioritize Leinster’s Sam Prendergast over Munster’s Jack Crowley moving forward. Still, sadly, we see both players struggling for consistency when it matters most and with definite weaknesses in their skill sets. We’d still argue that the Munsterman is probably the more reliable of the two under pressure, but the Leinsterman is clearly the more inventive. However, neither provides Ireland with the kind of all-court game that South Africa’s Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu does, or with the vision and tactical decision-making of Johnny Sexton, who appears to be irreplaceable for Ireland.
In the backs, Ireland’s centre pairings are becoming increasingly creaky and predictable. Ulster’s Stuart McCloskey was a breath of fresh air this year, but even he is definitely the wrong side of 30, with limited game time for Ireland ahead of next year’s World Cup. Ireland has plenty of talent at the provincial level in the centre channels, and we’d even argue that a combination of Munster’s Tom Farrell and Ulster’s McCloskey could be a lethal combination, even though both men will be 33 and 35, respectively, come the next World Cup.
Out wide, it would appear that, despite his monster boot, James Lowe’s time in a green jersey is starting to see the sunset, and much like the ten jersey, there seems to be a lack of clarity about how best to embrace the future. There is plenty of talent in the provinces, but there is a reluctance to field-test and develop it with any consistency or regularity. On the opposite wing, however, Tommy O’Brien has been a revelation for Ireland this year and is also a useful centre, though we’d argue that, based on what we’ve seen, he excels on the wing. Mack Hansen is also rather useful, though injury is always a concern for the Aussie import; he can also slot into the fullback role. Hugo Keenan should return from injury this year in time for the Six Nations. If that goes well, then between him and Hansen, the 15 jersey does look to be in capable hands, with Leinster’s Ciaran Frawley always available to help out if needed.
In short, change is the order of the day in Ireland, with eyes firmly set on the World Cup. It may mean that this is yet another disappointing Six Nations for Ireland. Still, the lessons learnt in the process will be invaluable if the ambition to get beyond a World Cup Quarter-Final for the first time ever next year is to become a reality. We’d much rather see Ireland fumble their way at times through the Six Nations with a new-look squad, ready to be fine-tuned into what could be, for Ireland, a golden opportunity in the forthcoming Rugby Nations Championship, especially given Ireland’s favourable draw in the first three Rounds on the road away this summer. It’s now or never for Ireland to embrace change, and we can’t wait to see whether it dares to take a much-needed leap of faith.
Another new tournament we’re not convinced we all needed, let alone trying to wrap our heads around how it’s actually going to work and provide a meaningful contest.
Well, there’s no point moaning about it anymore; it’s here to stay, and we all just need to wrap our heads around it. World Rugby has now finalized plans for this controversial tournament, which will take place every two years. It will feature the top 12 teams in the Nations Championship, divided between the North and Southern Hemispheres. However, to make it work along those lines, Japan is considered a Southern Hemisphere Nation, even though the last time we checked a map, the Land of the Rising Sun is well North of the Equator. There’s also a Nations Cup; more on that later as we get more details on its logistics and mechanics in the coming months. It will feature 12 Tier 2 Nations. We’re delighted to see that Canada will be participating, which will be the kind of regular international competition the Men’s side has needed ever since their last appearance at a World Cup in 2019.
The action kicks off this July and replaces the July Test window that has been in place in years past. The Six Northern Hemisphere countries, aka the Six Nations, will travel to the Southern Hemisphere and play 3 matches over three weeks. Now here’s where the problems start. First up, one of the Southern participants, Fiji, will see no home games and be required to play all their games in either Australia or New Zealand. Given the rapturous reception the Flying Fijians regularly receive at home from some of the most enthusiastic and committed fans on the planet, we think this is a trifle unfair and a massive opportunity missed.
France, although it gets a slightly easier draw for July in that it has to play New Zealand, Australia, and Japan, will still struggle to be competitive, especially in its critical opening two fixtures against New Zealand and Australia. Their first game against the All Blacks is one week after the French Top 14 Final, the most demanding club competition on the planet. It is doubtful they will be able to field a full-strength squad, and the same for their second game against Australia. Interestingly, like Fiji, Japan will likely play most of its “home” games at a neutral venue, such as Australia or New Zealand. As a result, Ireland, Italy, and France have a much easier July tour, barring France’s Top 14 issues, as they only have to travel between Australia and New Zealand.
Compare that with Scotland, England and Wales’ July schedule. Let’s take Wales, who seem to have drawn the shortest straw. Over the course of three weeks, they will likely have to travel to Australia to play Fiji. The following week, they travel to Argentina, and a week later, they end their tour in South Africa. That is a rather mind-bending set of travel arrangements. That any of the Welsh squad will be able to see straight, remember when to eat what meal when, let alone remember how to catch a rugby ball, will be nothing short of a miracle at the end of those three weeks. England doesn’t fare much better when accumulating Wales’ frequent flyer miles on the opposite routing. Scotland may have a slightly easier run of the draw, as hopefully their final game against Fiji will be in Perth after playing South Africa – it’s still a hike, but marginally more palatable than ending up in Sydney.
The European leg of the competition replaces the November Tours and, for the most part, mirrors what we’ve been used to in the past, with the only addition being a Finals weekend after the three weeks of competition to be held at Twickenham. It will see Japan, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina touring the Six Nations participants as they have always done. Unlike the nightmare scenario of July, travel arrangements are no more onerous than 90-minute flights between European capitals, all in the same time zone, give or take an hour. In short, much more doable than the nightmare scenario being proposed for July, which essentially makes a mockery of World Rugby’s commitment to reducing its global environmental footprint.
Last but not least, we are concerned that having “Finals” every two years among the top 12 Nations will diminish the World Cup’s sacrosanct value every four years. As we’ve already mentioned, for Tier 2 Nations, we think the proposed Rugby Nations Cup is a fantastic opportunity to help make them more competitive come World Cups, but as for the value of the competition between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres’ best juxtaposed against the value of the World Cup, we remain on the fence and struggle to determine its value. In short, it all looks a bit messy and potentially confusing. Imagine if South Africa wins the World Cup again next year but finishes bottom of the pile in the Nations Championship this year? An unlikely scenario, but does it make them winning a World Cup next year any less meaningful in the grand scheme of things?
As we say, there’s no point in moaning over spilt milk, and, even if World Rugby choose to ignore some obvious oversights, the attempt to come up with a global calendar is long overdue. We’re just not sure this is the model everyone wanted to set us on the road to said goal. Time will tell, and we will certainly be watching with interest even if it makes us appear slightly hypocritical in the process.
Well, that’s it for our season opener this year. More on what to watch and why starts next week. There’s plenty of Champions and Challenge Cup action to look forward to this weekend; see the TV page for our recommendations. Happy New Year to one and all from all of us. Despite the seemingly intractable mess the World sadly seems to find itself in at the moment, let’s hope there is plenty of good spirit and camaraderie across nations and that our sport continues to be the unifying influence it so excels at being!
The Lineout 