New Rugby Tournament Announced, Rugby World Cup Expanded to 24 Teams, Nations Championship Begins 2026

World Rugby set to introduce major system changes starting from 2026, including expanded World Cup, alignment of international calendars, and new biennial Nations Championship; proposal faced mixed reactions as critics underline favoritism towards traditional rugby powers and delayed promotion/relegation until 2030.

Rugby World Cup is expanding to 24 national teams starting from 2027, with the participating countries divided into six pools. The changes, which also include the establishment of a biennial Nations Championship, will be introduced starting from 2026.
World Rugby aims to create more revenue and deliver a quality product with the introduction of the 'Nations Championship' featuring a north vs. south style event. The championship will see northern hemisphere countries play three southern opponents away in the July window, and matches will be replicated at the home venues in the November window.
The proposed changes, however, face criticism due to favoritism towards the traditional rugby powers. For instance, the Nations Championship will not consider promotion and relegation until 2030, potentially blocking the progress of emerging nations.
In the Rugby World Cup 2023, South Africa and New Zealand will compete in the final aiming for a record fourth world cup. South Africa won the semi-final against England in a closely fought contest, while New Zealand defeated Argentina convincingly in their semi-final.
In the post-match press conference after South Africa's semi-final win, England's captain, Owen Farrell, addressed the issue of online abuse directed at players. The team's flanker, Tom Curry, had been on the receiving end of relentless online abuse after reporting discriminatory language used against him.
Meanwhile, England and Argentina will meet in a third-place play-off before the final. England's team for this match features several new inclusions as part of eight changes to the team that was beaten by South Africa in the semi-finals.