The upcoming Nations Championship will not take place in Qatar after rugby chiefs decided against playing the finals in the Middle East, according to a report.

The biennial tournament is set to begin in 2026 with a top division of 12 teams (the Six Nations unions, SANZAAR unions and two further unions) and a second division, run by World Rugby, consisting of a further 12 nations.

The Nations Championship will be played during the July and November international windows, with the Six Nations teams touring to the southern hemisphere for three Tests every other summer before hosting three matches in November.

Proposal rejected

Six Nations and SANZAAR were reportedly in advanced negotiations to take the competition to Qatar, but they appear to have rejected that proposal for now, the Daily Mail has reported.

According to the newspaper, rugby chiefs were aware of the potential reputational damage staging the event in the country could bring, given that their human rights record has been heavily criticised.

There were also fears about playing the tournament in stadiums which could well be empty due to the distance fans of the competing nations would have to travel.

The big money deal has always been seen as a tempting prospect for the respective unions, considering the financial struggles of a number of the nations.

New bidders

However, other interested parties have reportedly come forward since the news of Qatar’s bid, which was described as a ‘Super Bowl of rugby’ was revealed, which may have swayed the hierarchy’s decision.

Qatar entered an exclusive negotiation phase of two months, during which other potential suitors expressed an interest, and they can now put forward their proposals.

It is understood that the USA could be one of the contenders to host the event as rugby looks to increase its popularity ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

The World Cup is will be played in the US in 2031, but there is plenty for the relevant authorities to improve on if it is to be a success in seven years’ time.

Rugby has struggled to make ground in the States but the Nations Championship, alongside the Olympics sevens in Los Angeles in 2028, could change that.

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‘Selling its soul to the highest bidder’ – Fans blast rugby’s talks with Qatar over Nations Championship

Rugby fans have slammed the game’s governing bodies following reports that the Nations Championship finals series could be hosted in Qatar.

World Rugby revealed plans for the inaugural tournament set to take place in 2026, pitting the top 12 international teams against one another, featuring the Six Nations sides plus the SANZAAR nations and two other teams – most likely Fiji and Japan.

When the governing body revealed details of the competition in October last year, it did not include plans for a final series weekend, but that could be added if reports are to be believed.

This after reports emerged of Qatar bidding to host such an event over one weekend to determine the final finishing positions in the Nations Championship and have since entered exclusive talks with Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR.

It is reported that Qatar will guarantee £800m revenue for four editions of the tournament and while rugby could certainly do with that type of cash influx, fans have slammed the governing bodies for even considering the offer.

Sportswashing

Qatar is infamous for its lack of inclusive human rights protection laws, with many fans stating that the Middle East country is simply sportswashing yet again and is now targeting rugby, having ventured into football, golf and other sports.

“Sportswashing has made it to rugby,” one fan bemoaned on social media platform X in response to the Telegraph’s report with another adding: “This is absolutely disgusting, so much for ‘rugby values’”.

“Looks like #RugbyValues don’t include human rights,” another reply read.

The reaction was overwhelmingly negative from fans as a whole, with one reply stating that rugby would be selling its soul by taking the game to Qatar.

“Rugby isn’t exactly rolling in cash, but this isn’t it. Stooping to sportswashing and adding more fixtures to an already congested calendar. Money is money and every major sport, from football to golf, has sold its soul. But it’s sad to see rugby go this way,” the reply read.

The Nations Championship has been a controversial topic since the first reports of the idea surfaced a few years ago, with World Rugby’s initial proposed formats failing to convince its member nations.

And still, many fans are not sold on the idea with the Qatar bid making their feelings towards the reshaping of international even worse.

“The more I read about the Nations Championship, the less I like it,” one fan noted.

The reaction was overall negative from fans across the globe with Ireland fan Caolan Rugby making his feelings quite clear.

“Burn it with fire. Then throw it in a metal bin. Then throw its ashes into a tornado. Moral of the story: F**k this spineless move,” he wrote.

With Rugby Australia struggling financially, one fan was ethically opposed and stated that ‘realistically, this kind of money could literally save Australian Rugby.’

Damian de Allende expecting a ‘war’ with Ireland after media ‘disrespected’ the Springboks

Selling rugby’s soul

Meanwhile, Nicks Johnston broke down the numbers, stating that it is hardly worth it.

“Basic maths here – £800m over 8 years, so £100m a year. Split between the 6Nations and Sanzaar – £50m each. CVC takes 14.5% of the 6Nations share, so £42.75m to split between the Unions. And that’s before any commission etc is taken – which will happen. Worth it … I think not,” Johnston’s post read.

While World Rugby attempts to grow the game internationally, Tier 2 Rugby said there was little interest in Qatar developing the game locally.

“Qatar does not care or have any ambition or future potential in rugby. As far as I can tell they just hope to find some uses for the stadiums built from modern day slavery for the football World Cup. The whole thing stinks,” the page’s post added.

Finally, South African journalist Brenden Nel added: “Can’t think of anything worse. Rugby selling its soul to the highest bidder. Games that cram the season even more. More money at the top, and below it the game isn’t as healthy as it should be. More is not necessarily better. But hey, its money.”

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