Promotion and relegation would be introduced to the Rugby Championship and Six Nations and a blockbuster November final would be held at a neutral venue such as Wembley Stadium or Barcelona's Camp Nou under a plan to launch a World Rugby 'Nations Championship' in 2022.
The Nations Championship, formerly known as the World League concept, passed a crucial test during "very constructive" talks between the chief executives of all tier one Test nations in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
A report in London's The Times newspaper laid out the proposal for the 12‑nation competition, in which Test nations would play for points during the existing northern and southern hemisphere competitions the Six Nations and Rugby Championship, before meeting for a two‑week finals play‑off in Europe in November.
The proposal would be a radical shake‑up of the global rugby calendar, not to mention the Test pecking order, offering nations such as Fiji, Japan and the USA their first genuine chance to climb into the realm of tier one nations with more regular Test match‑ups.
[Source: stuff.co.nz]
