"Natural progression" - Six Nations could become EIGHT in radical new plan
Rugby NewsSaturday, 08 January 2022 at 10:19
If reports are to be believed, the Six Nations may never be the same again.
FOr a start, it wouldn't be 'six' nations as South Africa and Japan are both deep in talks with the tournaments governing body about joining the Championship in the coming years.
Japan reached the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup on home soil but did not play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, returning to action after 18 months against the British & Irish Lions in June 2021.
“For our national teams to have not played for the best part of two years has had a huge impact,” former Japan international and current CEO Kensuke Iwabuchi told the JRFU website.
“We definitely need to be involved in regular international competition, otherwise we cannot expect to maintain consistently strong sides."
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/15677007/south-africa-six-nations-england-wales-rugby/Meanwhile, the Sun have reported that the Springboks are “definitely” going to join the Six Nations as they look to split from the doomed Rugby Championship.
They moved a step closer to quitting their Southern Hemisphere rivals New Zealand and Australia by agreeing for their provincial clubs to enter Europe’s Challenge Cup from December.
Top South African administrator Ed Coetzee said: “I think it will definitely happen. If we asked them now, they would say never
“But if we also asked them if we would play in Europe, they would have said never.
“So it is a natural progression — it’s bound to happen. There might be a promotion and relegation.”
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Gallery: World’s highest-paid rugby players in 2022
#9=. Owen Farrell (Saracens) - £750k
The England skipper is heading into the final year of his contract at Saracens and is reported to be earning a substantial amount of money on his current deal with a number of unknown bonuses thought to be included.
#9=. Michael Hooper (Toyota Verblitz) - £750k
Last season he took a sabbatical in Japan and is reported to have been earning £750,000 with Toyota Verblitz.
#8. Beauden Barrett (Suntory Sungoliath) - £780k
On his year out in Japan with Suntory Sungoliath last year, the Daily Mail reports Barrett earned £780,000.
#7. Virimi Vakatawa (Gloucester) - £780k
Last year, Les Bleus' centre signed a huge contract with Racing 92, according to reports in France.
CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO
#6. Maro Itoje (Saracens) - £800k
When Itoje was rumoured to be interested in joining Racing 92 last year, club president Jacky Lorenzetti let slip that the lock wanted €1million for the deal to go through.
Exact figures on Itoje's current salary at Saracens vary but it is widely reported that he is bringing home in excess of £800,000.
#4=. Cheslin Kolbe (Toulon) - £850k
The speedster hit the financial jackpot with his summer switch from Toulouse to Top 14 rivals Toulon. He now warns an annual salary of €1million after they buy out the remainder of his contract from the recent league/Champions Cup double winners.
#4=. Finn Russell (Racing 92) - £850k
The talented fly-half signed a new three-year deal with Racing 92 last year. The Rugby Paper report he is earning as much as £850,000 with the Paris-based club.
#3. Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) - £900k
The Springbok enforcer is in the midst of a three-year deal in the south of France and is widely reported to be earning just shy of £1m.
#1=. Charles Piutau (Bristol Bears) - £1m
For some time, the speedstee has been reported to be earning £1m at Bristol Bears and he became the first player in British rugby to do so when he joined the club from Ulster.
#1=. Handre Pollard (Montpellier) - £1m
He moved alongside Piutau as the joint-highest paid player on the planet when he signed for Montpellier after the Springboks won the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Will drop down the rankings when he joins Leicester Tigers in the summer.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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