Sport

Rugby risks creating too much of a good thing with extra tournament

Pundits react to the introduction of a biennial competition, beginning in 2026, that pits the Six Nations sides against the best southern hemisphere teams

Sam Cane of New Zealand is tackled by Jonathan Sexton and Jamison Gibson Park of Ireland during their match in Wellington in July 2022. Picture: Getty

Get ready for the 2023 Rugby World Cup because it’s likely to be the last one that holds quite the same level of prestige.

With World Rugby introducing a new biennial tournament from 2026 that pits the Six Nations sides against the best southern hemisphere teams, there will essentially be two mini-World Cups in two of the three years without the tournament.

The motivation is simple: money. The sport may be more professional than ever ...