New competition

From 2026 there’s a new competition between the 6 Nations teams and SANZAR. It will take place during the July and November Test windows. 

It seems to me this will either be farce, or further devalue the Six Nations and the Rugby Cup. Why not simply match the winner of the RC against the winner of the 6 Nations. Or alternatively play a scaled down WC every second year.

We really don’t need another tournament.

Effectively just restructuring the existing SH year end tours to the NH.

I still think it is a bit of a farce, it will only be played every other year, so they don't want it to clash with the Lions tour or the World Cup. 

It is also suppose to help with rankings for the World Cup. there will be a promotion and relegation as well for tier 2 teams to enter into the the top 12. 

Still not sure how on earth it would make logistically sense. 

They want to add Fiji and Japan to the Championship so that the north and the south have 6 teams each. 

This would mean it will be 5 test matches being played, where as at the moment the southern hemisphere have 6 matches. 

It does how every leave room for tours, but the Lions tour sucks up all the top teams leaving only France and Italy as the top seed norther teams with 3 other southern hemisphere teams that will be short on top tier rugby. 

So there are oppertunities for tour games during the Lions and World Cup years. 

So for example SA could arrange a tour to New Zealand and Incoming tours against Australia or something towards those line. 

Given that the lions play SA/NZ/Aus, this leaves room for tours between these two teams. 

I'm not sure what is going to happen to the normal comp

But hopefully it will get rid of those pointless tour matches the South seems to get. 

Not sure the Northern Hemisphere teams want to budge on their 6 nations schedule at all, other than reducing it by one week. 

Clubs still want their pound of flesh. 

I personally believe that club rugby should be more than 5 to 6 months. There could be a 2nd tier club cup comp whilst the internationals are happening. 

So they still get games and can atract fans

We need a global season, but rugby is a winter sport and I can't see it working with the hot weather we get in the south. 

I would almost say that we need a winter break for 2 months which normally Jan to Feb which are the worst months in both hemispheres. 

Any thoughts of how this could work?

Rugby union really is in the gutter. A total mess.