Six Nations, SANZAAR Form Joint Rugby Venture
Ten unions will pool commercial rights under a new agency, with Qatar dropping out as host of the 2028 finals.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Other Sports
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Six Nations and SANZAAR have founded a joint commercial venture of ten rugby unions that will appoint a dedicated chief executive and create a rights-management agency. Qatar will no longer host the 2028 Nations Championship finals due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Why it matters
The venture aims to pool commercial rights for major competitions, including the Six Nations, British and Irish Lions tours, and the Rugby Championship, into one agency. The move follows Qatar Airways' decision not to become lead sponsor, leaving the 2028 finals venue open.
The rights agency sits beneath ten founding unions and aggregates commercial rights across the Six Nations, Lions tours, Nations Championship and Rugby Championship. Specific revenue figures and the financial split between member unions have not been disclosed.
The players
Six Nations
The annual championship of European rugby union nations, which is joining the new commercial venture.
SANZAAR
The southern hemisphere rugby body that governs the Rugby Championship and is a partner in the joint venture.
World Rugby
The international governing body of rugby union, which set up a review group on promotion and relegation.
Brett Robinson
The chair of World Rugby's review group examining promotion and relegation for the Nations Championship.
Qatar Airways
The Qatari state-owned airline that pulled out of becoming lead sponsor of the tournament.
The details
Japan and Fiji have been invited as guest nations to the inaugural tournament and will receive a participation fee rather than a share of central commercial income. Promotion and relegation will not apply to the F10 nations, and a World Rugby review group chaired by Brett Robinson is examining the issue.
Timeline
2023: World Rugby council backed the promotion and relegation principle for the Nations Championship.
November 4, 2026: The commercial venture and Qatar hosting change were reported.
2028: Nations Championship finals will not be held in Qatar.
Other Sports Context
The North and South commercial rights are pooled in the same fashion as the Six Nations under Project Light, extending that model across the sport's major competitions. The arrangement builds on that precedent to centralise the sport's commercial revenue under a single agency.
The Nations Championship will not be held in Qatar in 2028, so the host and venue for the finals remain open. Guest nations Japan and Fiji will pay a participation fee rather than share in central commercial income.
The takeaway
Centralised commercial control under a single rights agency could reshape how rugby's revenue is distributed across unions. Watch for the 2028 finals host decision and the outcome of the promotion and relegation review.
Further reading
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