World Rugby “should and can do all the things” to present “better certainty and alternative” to tier-two nations, chairman Sir Invoice Beaumont has mentioned.
Fiji are the one crew from exterior tier one to succeed in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup in France.
Discussions a few new world calendar are ongoing, which rising nations hope will provide extra aggressive video games.
Beaumont mentioned tier-two nations are “central to our discussions on a reimagined worldwide calendar”.
What’s the distinction between tier one and tier two?
Tier one consists of the European groups who play within the Six Nations (England, Scotland, Wales, Eire, France and Italy), and the 4 who compete within the southern hemisphere’s Rugby Championship (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina).
Each different nation that performs on the World Cup, however doesn’t characteristic in these top-level annual tournaments, is from tier two.
Tier-two nations have had differing fortunes in France; Portugal achieved the primary Rugby World Cup win of their historical past towards Fiji on Sunday, whereas others resembling Japan, Samoa and Uruguay put in creditable performances towards higher-ranked opposition.
Nonetheless, Romania conceded greater than 70 factors in three successive Pool B defeats, Namibia have been closely crushed on three events in Pool A and debutants Chile allowed greater than 40 factors in every of their 4 Pool D losses.
Fiji, helped by an upset win of their very own over Australia, booked a quarter-final towards England regardless of slender defeats by Wales and Portugal.
Former England captain Beaumont mentioned: “At this stage of the competitors, we are saying goodbye to 12 groups.
“I wish to guarantee everybody that the likes of Portugal, Samoa, Tonga, Uruguay, Chile and Georgia could also be gone, however they’re actually not forgotten.
“We should, and can, do all the things we will to supply better certainty and alternative of standard high-level competitors for these groups.
“They’re central to our discussions on a reimagined worldwide calendar that may profit the various, not the few.
“This, in flip, will allow us to reach at Rugby World Cup 2031 in USA anticipating a genuinely aggressive and unpredictable Rugby World Cup which is nice for followers, broadcasters and industrial companions.”
On the Rugby World Cup’s weekly media convention on Tuesday, match director Michel Poussau mentioned: “I wish to pay explicit tribute to the efficiency unions, specifically Portugal, who achieved a historic first ever victory on Sunday towards quarter-finalists Fiji.
“Fiji have reached the final eight for the primary time in 16 years, however all have made their mark, regardless of preparation challenges, together with Covid.
“We should, and can, present them with better certainty and alternative to enhance on the world stage, and you’ll hear extra from World Rugby on this matter later within the match.
“I’m positive that we’ll see nice issues from them at Rugby World Cup 2027 and past.”
Poussau added {that a} whole of 1.84 million followers attended the 40 pool matches, 8% greater than the 2019 match in Japan, whereas a cumulative viewers of 164 million folks have watched the occasion on tv in France.
In the meantime, the match officers for the 4 World Cup quarter-finals have been appointed, with England’s Wayne Barnes taking cost of Eire’s recreation towards New Zealand.
Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) will referee France’s last-eight tie towards South Africa, whereas England v Fiji and Wales v Argentina will likely be officiated by Mathieu Raynal (France) and Jaco Peyper (South Africa) respectively.