World Rugby has clarified plans for a new global international competition before its meeting in Dublin this month.
The proposal would be called the ‘Nations Championship’, beginning in 2022, and would feature promotion and relegation across three tiers.
The top 12 teams would be split into two conferences, comprising the Six Nations and Rugby Championship.
The two extra teams in the Rugby Championship conference would be chosen on rankings, which would currently be Fiji and Japan.
Every team plays each other once, with the top two sides from each conference playing semi-finals and final, meaning a maximum of 13 tests a year.
The competition would run twice in a four-year cycle, also allowing for the Rugby World Cup and a British & Irish Lions tour within that period.
It would act as a World Cup qualifying and seeding event, with the existing tournament possibly expanded to 24 teams in 2027.
