Former Springbok coach Jake White has questioned World Rugby’s proposed Nations Championship model.
World Rugby has proposed a competition that will be a ‘two-division, merit-based format with promotion and relegation and a potential pathway for all unions’.
World Rugby has moved to clarify the organisation’s position on the merits and structure of a Nations Championship concept in advance of key meetings in Dublin next week. pic.twitter.com/NlefufHdxf
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) March 6, 2019
In his latest column for AllOutRugby.com, White said World Rugby’s proposed model is about financial gain and not the overall growth of the game globally.
‘Money is the big motivator behind World Rugby’s interest in a global competition, but it’s such a fine line because making rugby bigger, in terms of financial growth, comes with its own dilemmas, as you can see from sports such as baseball, basketball and soccer. It doesn’t take long for the players to demand more money, salaries go up and then we’re debating when enough is enough.
‘Maybe this is me being selfish as a coach who has won a World Cup, but for the sake of rugby’s integrity, we can’t have the top teams playing each other every year.’
Photo: Tim Williams/Getty Images
