World Rugby has announced a global alignment to the global men’s and women’s rugby calendars, headlined by a 12-team new international competition.
The tournament will be held every two years from 2026 for both the women’s and men’s, creating a dedicated international release window.
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The competition will be played in the July and November windows, comprising a top division including the Six Nations and SANZAAR teams as well as two further to be selected by SANZAAR (with Japan and Fiji the two leading contenders.)
A second division of 12 teams will sit under this, with promotion and relegation commencing from 2030.
“It is fitting that we finish Rugby World Cup 2023, the sport’s greatest celebration of togetherness, with the sport’s greatest feat of togetherness,” World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said in a statement.
“Agreement on the men’s and women’s global calendars and their content is the most significant development in the sport since the game went professional. A historic moment for our sport that sets us up collectively for success.
It comes as World Rugby confirms the World Cup will expand to 2024 for 2027.
World Rugby will also look to increase the number of cross-over games between the two divisions in the years outside of the biennial competition, with the 2023 World Cup witnessing the rise of Fiji, Portugal and Uruguay.
This has begun with the launch of an expanded Pacific Nations Cup in 2024 featuring Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and the USA.
“It has taken time but SANZAAR is delighted that the world of rugby has come together to put in place a platform for the sports’ continued growth and prosperity," SANZAAR and RA Chairman Hamish McLennan said.
“Essentially agreement on the reform of Regulation 9 governing international player release has paved the way for the global club and international game to complement each other. The defined windows of release for international duties, as well as enhanced player welfare outcomes are welcomed by SANZAAR. “The Six Nations Championship and The Rugby Championship, international rugby’s annual flagship tournaments are rightly protected in the restructure. However, the establishment of a new tournament – to be run by SANZAAR and Six Nations Rugby - in the years without a Rugby World Cup or British & Irish Lions tour, will now provide real meaning to the crossover international matches played in the Southern Hemisphere in July and Northern Hemisphere in November.
“SANZAAR will, in the near future, begin the process of allocating the two teams that will join Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to makeup the six teams that will represent the Southern Hemisphere in this new July/November tournament. The proposed Challenger Series, for 12 teams below those playing in the new international tournament, to also be played in the June/November windows, is hugely important for the development of several of our Pacific and South American stakeholders.”
“We now look forward to an exciting new era for our sport commencing in 2026,” Beaumont added.
“An era that will bring certainty and opportunity for all. An era that will support the many, not the few, and an era that will supercharge the development of the sport beyond its traditional and often self-imposed boundaries.
“I would like to thank all my colleagues for their spirit of collaboration. Today, we have achieved something special.”
Men
- Establishment of an enhanced global calendar for men’s rugby with clearer international windows, including confirmation of the release window for Rugby World Cup 2027 (Australia).
- Expansion of Rugby World Cup to 24 teams in 2027
- Launch of a biennial new international competition from 2026, comprising a top division of 12 teams (Six Nations unions, SANZAAR unions and two further unions to be selected via a process run by SANZAAR), and a second division run by World Rugby of 12 teams with promotion and relegation commencing from 2030, played in the July and November international release windows.
- A significant uplift in the number of cross-over matches between unions in the respective divisions are included in the global calendar in the two other years,
- Launch of new annual expanded Pacific Nations Cup competition in 2024, featuring Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and USA with home fixtures and Japan and USA alternating as finals hosts.
- Additional clarity for elite league and cross-border club competitions, supporting value growth investment opportunities for all.
Women
- First-ever dedicated international release windows (regional release window of seven weeks and global release window of eight weeks) from 2025.
- Clarity of release periods for club/league and cross-border competitions, to allow certainty of planning and investment.
- A commitment to more effectively manage player load and welfare in the fast-evolving women’s game, working with all stakeholders
- A framework to review the women’s global calendar and international competition structures on an ongoing basis to recognise that fast-evolving environment and opportunity.
