Relegation from the Six Nations has been dismissed as “absolutely not on the agenda” by tournament organisers despite ongoing talks over the significant remodelling of the international game.
Chief executives of the leading unions met in Los Angeles this week to discuss the creation of a new world league, made up of the leading 12 teams, with World Rugby believed to be pushing for promotion to and relegation from the Six Nations.
Georgia are marooned: too good for the second tier but shunned by rugby’s elite
Italy go into this year’s championship on a run of 17 consecutive Six Nations defeats and have slipped to 15th in the world rankings, while Georgia (13th) have repeatedly stated their desire to be allowed entry into what they perceive is a “rich old-boys’ club”. The World Rugby vice-president, Agustín Pichot, said last November he would “love to” see Georgia in the Six Nations in the next five to 10 years.
However Ben Morel, the Six Nations chief executive who was appointed in August, echoed his predecessor John Feehan and was adamant major changes are not in the pipeline. “Any relegation is absolutely not on the agenda,” he said. “We are working hand in hand with our six constituents so no change on the agenda.
“The values of the Six Nations and what it stands for is what defines us. We have to be extremely cautious when looking at any of these elements. That said, it is in the interest of more rugby territories developing and so any relegation matter can only be looked at when there is something of value to be relegated to. So let’s focus more on upgrading something that’s not sustainable.”
If the tier-one unions are to buy into the idea of a world league, guarantees over the revenue generated will be required, not least by the Rugby Football Union, which made around £15m from England’s long-awaited encounter with the All Blacks last autumn under the current agreement. A lucrative broadcast deal for the rights to the tournament has been mooted, which in turns raises the possibility of the Six Nations leaving free-to-air TV in the UK when the current deal with BBC and ITV runs out in 2021.
“It’s early days and the question hasn’t even been asked yet,” added Morel. “The current deal is for three more years. You are building on 135 years of value and my job is to be the guardian, not only of the current value but also the future value and relevance. There is added responsibility of being that window of rugby on an annual basis, towards that larger audience.”