by Rugby union powerbrokers have reached an agreement to host the Nations Championship, meaning the first finals will be played in London before moving to Qatar and then possibly the United States, leading to a major global expansion of the sport .
Under radical plans expected to be signed later this month, Twickenham would host the first Nations Championship final in 2026, before the biennial six-game series moves to Qatar two years later, with another option, 2030 to go to America.
Qatar had hoped to host the first four finals of the Nations Cup and was given exclusive negotiating rights by the 12 biggest unions this summer after being offered a guaranteed return of £800 million. However, their bid was blocked by Irish and French unions due to uncertainty over viewing figures and concerns about the country’s human rights record.
The new draft released is seen as a compromise, with staging the first final at Twickenham seen as a crucial concession to those who fear the sport is being sold to the highest bidder. The Six Nations and Southern Hemisphere unions are understood to be close to signing an agreement in principle on an initial four-year deal, confirming the 2026 and 2028 hosts as London and Qatar respectively.
There is also an option for a second four-year deal, taking the 2030 finals to the US before returning to Qatar two years later. This Agreement may be triggered when certain commercial and media rights objectives are achieved. The Qatar games would all take place in Doha, while USA Rugby would conduct a bidding process to choose the 2030 hosts, with New York’s MetLife Stadium considered an early frontrunner for the final.
The proposed new deal would allow unions to benefit from some of the riches Qatar offers, while also providing a safer opening event for the first finals in London, as well as the opportunity for a major promotional push ahead of the Rugby World Cup being hosted in the United States in 2031. The Middle East and the US are considered the two biggest growth markets for the sport, with the Women’s World Cup also set to take place in America in 2033.
The financial returns from Qatar are seen as too great for rugby to ignore, particularly by southern hemisphere unions, with New Zealand, South Africa and Australia recording annual losses of tens of millions of pounds in recent years. Even the Rugby Football Union has financial concerns after agreeing to fund 25 extended central contracts for England’s male players. Layoffs of more than 40 staff were announced last month, despite the governing body having secured a £100m naming rights deal for Twickenham with insurance company Allianz a few weeks earlier.
Financial projections for hosting the Nations Cup finals in Qatar are understood to be three times higher than those for London. Rotating the venue would provide the additional revenue needed to fund the finals as a 12-team playoff series in the top division of the biennial championship. The Six Nations teams will play three away and three home games against the Sanzaar Nations and two others – likely Japan and Fiji – in July and November to determine playoff line-ups.
The sixth-placed European team played their southern hemisphere counterpart after the six group games, with the fifth-placed team playing the fifth-placed team, etc., leading to a grand final to determine the championship winners. For the first event in London in 2026, Twickenham, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Stoop are said to be in the running to host the games, as different stadiums of different sizes will be required given the diversity of teams involved.
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Negotiations have been going on for several months, but Unions are pushing for it to be signed by the end of October so they can start selling broadcast rights.
Selling television rights has proven difficult for rugby in recent years, so unions want as much time as possible to strike a deal, particularly as they will offer new competition to broadcasters.
The Six Nations, which will host the new championship along with its southern hemisphere equivalent, Sanzaar, declined to comment.
