Six Nations: Relegation could be introduced as part of radical shakeup to form new world league

Rugby chiefs have gathered for talks in Los Angeles about revolutionising the international game with a play-off system to crown a world champion at a neutral venue

Relegation from the Six Nations Championship could be introduced as part of a radical shakeup to introduce a new world league to revolutionise the international game.

Talks held in Los Angeles on Monday have centered around the creation of a new tournament called the World Rugby Nations Championship.

The premise would throw together the 12 leading nations, all of whom would play each other once over the course of the calendar year.

A play-off series would then follow, report the Times, with the top European and southern hemisphere sides facing off in the final in a neutral venue, with Wembley and Barcelona’s Nou Camp potential candidates.

The new tournament would take a year off during World Cup years and it would be condensed in the years including the British and Irish Lions tour.

It could begin from 2022, though staunch opposition is expected, especially from club sides, who may oppose the release of their players.

Relegation would work with the bottom-ranked European nation after 11 matches taking on the winner of the Europe Rugby Championship, with the winner taking up a place in the following year’s Division One.

The Six Nations could have relegation from 2022 (Reuters)

There would be two pots for the initial Division One: The Six Nations (England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Italy and France) and a southern hemisphere pot comprising of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Japan and Fiji.

The Six Nations would take place as usual, with the winner taking the trophy and potentially the grand slam, but instead of a three-Test series against a southern hemisphere nation, European nations would play three other nations away from home in August and September.

The final three matches would then take place back in Europe in November, with the fourth week of the month beginning the play-offs, with the top two from each pot facing off (the winners facing the runners-up in the semi-finals before a subsequent final).