According to reports, SANZAAR nations could seek compensation from the six-nation bloc after Nations Championship talks with Qatar broke down.
The Middle Eastern nation was seen as the preferred host for the new biennial event after entering a two-month exclusive negotiation period.
Fans who bought tickets for the Six Nations match were looking forward to this latest event, which seemed like the perfect platform for the sport to take to new heights.
According to City AM, the deal was believed to be very close but was blocked by six countries.
The report claimed that a union of England, Wales and Scotland would be open to the proposal, but France and Ireland had no intention of joining.
As a result, this deal was not accepted, because the six-nation constitution stipulates that the six countries vote together, meaning that each coalition must agree to the proposal.
So a new host country will be crowned during the Nations Championship finals weekend, a tournament that pits the sport’s 10 strongest teams against two other top division teams, including Fiji and Japan.
World Rugby will operate a second division with 12 countries. Matches will be played between July and November.
The system will begin in 2026 and aims to allow promotion and relegation of two leagues.
Doha was originally the favourite to host the weekend play-off matches, dubbed the Super Bowl of rugby, but that will no longer happen.
Qatar has offered to host the finals in 2026, 2028, 2030 and 2032, in a deal estimated to cost £800m over six years, or £200m per tournament.
The Rugby Championship’s leading nations were left deeply disappointed when the deal fell through.
Financially struggling New Zealand, Australia and South Africa are said to be “strongly in favour” of the proposal and could now “demand” millions of pounds in compensation from the six nations, according to City AM.
A new host country is being sought, with the United States seen as a potential option, particularly with the Rugby World Cup set to be held there in 2031.
World Rugby is hoping to raise the profile of rugby in the United States ahead of the tournament, and hosting the Nations Championship playoffs in North America could help achieve that goal.
With the Olympic Rugby Sevens event, which was a huge success in Paris, set to be held in Los Angeles in 2028, the governing body is exploring a number of options.
For now, fans with Six Nations tickets will have to wait patiently for new developments. Qatar would have been the perfect choice as it is easily accessible to Six Nations fans.
Ireland A and England A play in Six Nations
The IRFU has confirmed that the Ireland A team will play England A in Bristol next year.
The match will be played at Bristol’s Aston Gate Stadium on Sunday 23 February at 1pm, the day after Wales and Ireland face off in Cardiff in the Guinness Six Nations. This will be another opportunity for fans to purchase Six Nations tickets for a different type of match.
Ireland coach Andy Farrell has repeatedly stressed the importance of providing game time to the wider squad, with he previously preparing for the 2022 Maori All Blacks vs All Blacks Select XV, as well as another Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa next month.
“We are delighted to add Ireland ‘A’ matches to our calendar next season and are delighted to once again be able to provide more players with exposure to the national team environment,” said Performance Director David Humphreys.
“Access to meaningful and consistent game time for our emerging players is a key focus and this fixture follows the Emerging Ireland Tour to South Africa this autumn and a busy November schedule for the senior men’s team.”
The first meeting between Ireland and England’s reserve teams since England Saxons won 18-9 at Musgrave Park in 2015, with current internationals Jack Conan, Ian Henderson and Rob Herring all playing in that game.
The Dupont Gamble six-country disappearance case is progressing well.
Antoine Dupont capped a two-year journey in rugby sevens by winning a dream Olympic gold medal for France in front of a raucous crowd in Paris on Saturday.
The team, emblematic of France and Toulouse, received a rapturous welcome at the raucous Stade de France in the final against Fiji, with the hosts winning 28-7.
“This is a huge reward for us, for rugby and for the whole country,” Dupont said.
“We felt like we represented not just rugby but all of French sport. We are proud to start the Olympics that way.”
“I am truly honored and emotional to have received this title,” said DuPont.
“What I’ve accomplished with these boys is incredible. It’s top of the list.
“I just wanted to share this with the team. We’ve been working hard for a long time to do this, and this is just the cherry on the cake.”
Dupont has established himself as one of the greatest players in the world of rugby, and the scrum-half is an iconic figure in France.
The 27-year-old has been criticised for taking a gamble by skipping the Six Nations Championships in order to make the French Olympic team.
But the spirited half-back put that aside to help France win the World Rugby Sevens Series twice, including the final in Madrid.
In the meantime, he guided Toulouse to 14th place and won the Champions Cup in the 15-a-side format.
After starting the opening two games at the Olympics, Dupont was named on the bench for the final and knockout stages, with manager Jerome Darrett opting for Steven Parez-Edo Martin in the playmaking role.
“It’s always harder to be on the bench because we can’t do anything. It’s more stressful than playing,” Dupont admitted.
“But it’s part of being on a team, and the most important thing is winning.”
Daret called Dupont “a great player who puts a lot of pressure on his opponents from the moment he steps onto the pitch.”
Wearing the number 11 jersey, Dupont made a big impression as soon as he entered the game in the second half, playing immediately in the final against two-time defending champions Fiji.
The ball was passed back to him and he immediately ran and fired a shot around Fijian captain Jerry Tuwai and down the left wing.
He passed back to Aaron Grandidier Nkanang who scored the home team’s try.
That put France ahead and with Fiji under pressure, Dupont scored two superb tries in a script that couldn’t have been better written.
World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin praised local hero Dupont, telling reporters his achievement was “incredible”.
Dupont had secured a crowd of 69,000 at the Stade de France, while World Rugby expected more than half a million fans to attend the six-day sevens.
Dupont last played at the stadium north of Paris in October, when France lost 29-28 to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.
Many traditionalists were not pleased when Dupont pulled out of the Six Nations and focused on building an Olympic team.
But his appearance at the Paris Olympics brought about a major change for French rugby as a whole and for the hosts.
Tickets for the 2025 Six Nations Cup will be available soon.
