Six Nations are to blame for the

NEW Zealand Rugby chief Steve Tew has upped the Rugby World Cup ante in Japan by accusing the Six Nations of putting their own interests ahead of the game.

The outgoing chief executive added the split between the northern and southern hemispheres had never been greater after the Six Nations rejected World Rugby’s proposal to establish a Nations Championship, with the prospect of relegation and promotion from the European tournament one of the big sticking points.

Earlier this week it was reported the Six Nations were on the brink of accepting a £300m bid for a 15% stake from private equity firm CVC.

It makes the prospects of a global calendar and World Rugby making renewed attempts to establish their Nations Championship even bleaker.

And New Zealand Rugby chief executive Tew told the Daily Telegraph: “We all have a responsibility to keep talking about how we better structure international rugby.

“I have been involved for a very long time so I am not holding my breath.

“How we find common ground is very challenging. On some issues, we collaborate pretty well together. Around player welfare, for example, there is a common understanding of what we want to achieve.

“Things like the season structure, we clearly have different views. Other people can decide who is right and wrong, but if you can’t get an agreement then you can’t move forward.”

The Nations Championship would have featured a 12-team top league playing a minimum 11 Tests in a season.