Tri nations become the 7 nations?

Maybe it has been discussed before, but is there any reason aside from maybe facilities and time schedules why the tri nations couldn't include Fiji, Samoa and Tonga?

The format would likely need to be changed to match the 6 nations, only home or away games rather than both. But I think it would add new excitement to the competition as well as improve the quality of pacific island teams.

Sadly it comes to attractiveness to the broadcaster, in this case, Fox. By adding the 3 islands, with next to no potential for increased viewership, the money pot will only be diluted, not added to. Therefore the established 4 will lose out.

With NZ's parlous financial affairs at the moment, I'm more inclined to look after one's backyard first and foremost. And before anyone says we've raped the Islands of their talent for so long and we're arrogant towards the Islands, just see how many NZers are turning out for the Island teams or coaching in this World Cup - Samoa has about 15 NZers including probably our best halfback. Oh, and the fact that everytime we play an Island team in NZ, we give the profits to that Union (basically we make naff all out of hosting them), which are far more than they could ever expect if we played in the Islands.

There is no population to sustain an idea. Sad, but true

Their players are spread far and wide in the club rugby world which makes it too long a season for many. You could base them in NZ but that´s a lot of travel and cost for the away games.

It makes more sense to have separate teams rather than a Polynesian / Melanesian combined team but the logistics and availability of players is not as simple as the 6N. There, the travel is minimal and the pool of players all play there. The Pacific Island teams don´t have that luxury and are already involved in the Pacific Cup. What happens to that?

What I'd like to see is the All Blacks play Samoa in Apia at some stage during the next four years. Would give something back, plus it would hopefully get other nations off their bums and over there too. Take a hit for the good of the game.

There is a way it can work.

If you hold the Southern Hemisphere championship trophy every two years, and the 4 nations every alternative year.

when it is the year for the SHCT, it is hosted by one of the 4 nation countries on a rotation basis. This way you involve the other three every second year, there is no travel involved when it is hosted, will bring spice to the SH rugby, and imagine every 8 years your country has a wonderful tournamnet with thousands of visitors flocking your rugby stadiums, if there is no broadcasting giant that would love to broadcast such a tournament them.

You would have to inc. a Fiji, Samoan, Tongan super rugby side before they joined the 3N as if not the best PI players would still ply their trade in Europe and therefore would not get released for the tournament by their clubs.

Get at least 2 sides into SR, perhaps based in NZ but encompassed of players registered for the PI nations only and I'm sure you could then get a PI side into the new 4N tournament.

It would not drain the resources in Aus or NZ as all the players would be PI's, also if done right bring extra revenue to the local areas... perhaps based in a stadium/town without regular SR games.

you're missing a trick here.

Which is one of the richest rugby leagues in the world?

The Japanese should be able to enter a team too

You could bag a lot of air miles in a SR/4N hybrid competition if you included Japan as well.

hmmmm top winning team in their league gets a wildcard and bed & board?

I like the idea of a 4N being every two years. Quite frankly I'm sick of playing SA and Australia so often. The quality of rugby is great but hell if I hear Smells Like Teen Spirit 1000 times I'll never want to hear it again. Would be nice to get some variety-Argentina will be most welcome.

The impression I got from another thread this morning is that people are happy for smaller nations to go from one world cup to another without any thought of how to improve the standard of rugby played by the smaller countries.

The current RWC format doesn't work for the lesser nations.

Sevens have it right where by these teams are playing the bigger nations on a regular basis and not just once or twice every 4 years

I think moving the "traditional" (6 Nations, Tri-Nations and Pacific Nations Cup) tournaments to every other year and having a Northern Hemisphere/Southern Hemisphere competition once every 4 years could be a way to go for the good of the game. Maybe:

Northern Hemisphere:
6 Nations
7 other European Nations (based on ENC standings)
USA, Canada, Japan

Southern Hemisphere:
4 Nations
Pacific Island Nations
Namibia/Uruguay (possibly settled on a play-off basis).

Not sure exactly how to structure the tournaments, but getting tier 2 countries playing meaningful tournament matches with tier 1 nations would be good for the growth of the game.

I'm not sure how much more New Zealand can be expected to do for the Islands to be honest. The NZRFU have picked up the tabs on island teams tours in the past, helped their young players develop by putting them in their academy sides and fought tooth and nail within the IRB for their interests.

Sadly the Islands have no economys or population and any additions to the 4 Nations (Argentina join after the world cup), would mean that country has to offer something.

The Islands have the pacific Nations Cup, personally I'd add USA, Canada and Hong Kong to it, to restablish the old Pan-Pacific Cup we had several years ago.

It's a professional sport, that NEEDS to generate money and it's no ones fault the Islands dont have the money or population to generate what is needed.

Islands rugby Isnt being ignored as the IRB have forced tier 1 countries to tour there, as well as the USA, Canada and Japan.

2012 = Scotland will play 2 tests in the Islands in June.
2014 = Samoa will play England in November
2016 = Fiji will play England in November
2017 = , Wales will play each of the Islands in June tour,Samoa will play England in November