World Rugby is set to reject the idea of emerging nations competing in a ‘plate’ competition running alongside the main event at future World Cups
Calls have been growing for parallel knockout competitionWorld Rugby is set to reject the idea of emerging nations competing in a “plate” competition running alongside the main event at future World Cups. Instead, the 2027 tournament in Australia will be expanded to 24 teams with organisers keen not to erect “a glass ceiling” between the top sides and those with fewer playing and financial resources.
It will do little, however, to pacify those who believe the full potential of sides such as Georgia and Portugal will not be realised until they gain access to major tournaments such as the Six Nations or the top tier of the new Nations Championship, which is set to involve the world’s 12 leading sides and commence in 2026. No promotion from the second tier will be on offer in the latter competition before 2030 at the earliest, while the Six Nations remains a closed shop with no relegation.
Statistically this disparity has improved little since the bad old days of the late 1990s when 100-point wallopings at World Cups were a frequent occurrence. To date, with one weekend remaining, only six of the 32 pool games in France have involved a margin of seven points or fewer. Unless there is at least one tight game in the final round, this could mean the tournament equalling the lowest figure seen at a World Cup this century.
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