Old-school rugby tours will win new fans
No one could accuse Ireland of lacking ambition, having set their sights on winning two rugby series in New Zealand next month.
By agreeing to a three-test clash with the All Blacks and a two-test series with New Zealand Ma¯ ori , Ireland have signalled they are not just flush with confidence but are also happy to jump back in time to give Generation X the sort of nostalgic thrill they believed rugby would never again deliver.
A couple of clashes with New Zealand Ma¯ ori is hardly comparable with the extended tours of old, but it’s as good as it’s going to get in this age of digital and corporate infatuation, where the United States, Japan, and Tiktok are considered the holy trinity and rugby’s path to salvation.
Ireland’s desire to intensify their New Zealand experience is as much an act of inadvertent rebellion as it is a genuine high-performance strategy.
They have made a statement that they are prepared to fight for rugby’s soul by embracing and promoting an alternative vision for the international game.
The quirk of timing here is that the fight is somewhat futile, as Ireland are going to give everyone a strong taste of the past by embarking on a deeper immersion experience in one nation, just as the game is about to commit itself to a long-term programme of quick-hit visits to play one test and move on.
As a result, the rugby events of July will simultaneously be celebrated and mourned, as Ireland’s visit to New Zealand will end up being a sad reminder of
what could have been.
We see it every four years with the British and Irish Lions, how extended time can split or galvanise a group depending on
how it all goes on a Tuesday night in Palmerston North.
Everyone loves the Lions, not just because of the history and the novelty, but because they never fail
to be interesting and while rugby hasn’t been great at recognising that they can have too much of a good thing, there is a limitless appetite for old-fashioned tours.
And yet, despite the fact no one loves this “one test here, another there and one for the road” set-up, this philosophy is at the heart of the Nations Championship proposal, which would seem almost certain now to be given the green light to begin in 2026.
The Nations Championship has its attractions, chiefly the truckload of broadcast cash it will deliver. It will also generate a greater sense of purpose and meaning for the wider international programme. But it is hard to understand why everyone is as excited as they are about this latest plan to play three tests against three countries in July and another three tests against another three nations in November.
The Nations Championship is a triumph of packaging rather than a fundamental fix: it is just the same old, same old, except this time, we will keep track of who has beaten who and let the two with the most points slug it out in a final.
And you can be certain, that because there is going to be a final, that an increasing number of exotic venues will be prepared to offer a stash of loot for a little slice of the playoff action.
Once the Nations Championship is established, how long before the final will be hosted by Qatar, with Shanghai and Las Vegas next in line?
But what may become apparent in July is that rugby’s path to salvation does not lie in the rapidfire world of one country, one test.
Nor is it going to be saved by playing in iconic US stadia, or by bored oil sheikhs looking for a new distraction on which to spend their cash.
Rugby seems unlikely to win this fight for hearts and minds by offering us more of what we have already said we don’t want even if it does come all bundled up like a mini-world Cup for the self-chosen elite.
Rugby needs more grit, less glitz, and as ridiculous as this may seem, the sport’s greatest hope of retaining its old audience and winning a new one, lies in long tours and the muddy fields of Invercargill, New Plymouth and Napier.