Six Nations opposition may sink global vision

World Rugby’s bold move to reshape the international landscape hangs by a thread as the Six Nations powerbase ponders its next move.

And New Zealand Rugby boss Steve Tew admits that though it is the southern hemisphere nations who are required to make the biggest compromises under the World Rugby proposal, the plan’s adoption largely hinges on the Six Nations’ willingness to accept the tenet of promotionrelegation.

That, along with the Six Nations’ rival commercial opportunities to essentially go it alone and potential opposition from British and French clubs, shapes as the make-or-break aspect of the plan, dubbed the Nations Championship. Tew has indicated that NZ Rugby and the Sanzaar collective are essentially on board with the concept in its current form.

After Friday’s Dublin presentation by the global body to leading national unions and player representatives of its revised vision for the new international rugby calendar, the clock is already ticking on the proposal.

World Rugby has set a March 29 deadline for an official response to its proposal which comes with a pledged £5 billion (NZ$9.7b) 12-year investment via Switzerland-based global sports marketing company Infront. It says £1.5b of that would be incremental revenue.

The sport’s international body would like to ratify the new competition by its May 22 executive council meeting, which seems an unholy rush for something being tagged rugby’s most important juncture since it turned professional in 1995. But there is a desire to get the new structure over the line well ahead of the lead-in to the World Cup.

Under the World Rugby proposal, the leading 12 nations in the world form the top league of its three-division Nations Championship. The Six Nations stays as it is, the Rugby Championship is expanded to include Japan and Fiji and the July and November windows become the interhemisphere clashes.

But the desire to have promotion-relegation as an intrinsic part of the new set-up, with the ability for teams to move up from the lower echelons, shapes as a potential stumbling block. British media reports suggest Ireland and Scotland are intrinsically opposed to promotion-relegation, and it’s hard to see how Italy would be exactly enthused about the concept either.

Tew told Stuff from Dublin that the southern view was that promotion-relegation was a ‘‘vital’’ component of the new landscape.

‘‘There’s never been any debate about that from our point of view,’’ said Tew.

‘‘For the game to grow we need more teams to be competitive. Putting aside the money, I think a measure of the success of this proposal, if it comes off, will be in eight years’ time when a different eight teams are contesting the quarterfinals of Rugby World Cup than what we’ve had for the last two or three.

‘‘We need the next group of nations, whether that’s Georgia or Spain, or Tonga or Fiji, or the USA or Canada . . . to get more opportunities, to have a chance and a view there’s a pathway forward.

‘‘If you’re someone who wants to invest in rugby in, say, USA or Japan, at some point you need to know there’s an opportunity and a real way to get to the top table. At the moment there isn’t.’’

However, Tew also has some sympathy for the northern nations on this one.

‘‘It is a significant issue for the Six Nations and I understand their perspective,’’ he added. ‘‘It’s not easy for them to commit that kind of risk when they’ve built stadia, they’ve got professional clubs they’re funding and got a community game like we have and you put that at risk at your own peril.

‘‘So it’s not straightforward. It never is.’’

Tew’s caution is understandable. Reports in the north indicate the Six Nations are veering more towards going their own way, with a lucrative offer from CVC for an equity share reportedly on the table, and something similar from IMG also said to be in play. World Rugby has their attention with its £5 billion; so too do CVC and IMG with their own riches, and additional pledge of autonomy.

But even that is fraught with issues. If the Six Nations go it alone, where does that leave the November (and July) internationals? The southern hemisphere countries would be under no obligation to fill stadiums in the northern autumn should World Rugby’s proposal be abandoned.

Test rugby as we know it stands on somewhat of a precipice, depending on what plays out over the next few months.

Through this tricky process, Tew said he takes pride in the fact his union has continued to represent the best interests of its Pacific neighbours.

‘‘It’s part and parcel of what we’ve always done,’’ he told Stuff. ‘‘But it’s not straightforward. These are very balanced discussions. On merit Fiji should be one of the two countries that come into an expanded Rugby Championship.

‘‘But we will need Fiji to have infrastructure in place, and we will need to have some confidence they can get their players out of European clubs.’’