World Rugby has insisted that the proposed north versus south “Nations Championship” competition – including a grand final between the two hemispheres every two years – will not detract from the prestige of the World Cup after expressing confidence the new tournament will get off the ground.
Key stakeholders, including representatives from the Six Nations and Sanzaar, have been locked in discussions in Dublin this week in an effort to resolve the remaining stumbling blocks. A well-placed source has said that all parties have “broadly agreed” the format of the competition but concerns linger over how revenues will be shared, the effects of promotion and relegation and the need to agree new player release deals with clubs – although the Guardian understands there is more collaboration than three years ago, when a similar proposal failed.
