World Rugby's Gilpin doubts rebel league sustainability

Itoje - one of rugby's stellar names - has said that he would not put his international career at risk if moving to a start-up franchise made him ineligible for Test selection

World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin says he is focusing on the launch of the Nations Championship in 2026 as the sport's "golden prize" rather than getting distracted by "Formula 1 style" rebel leagues.

Gilpin was reacting to recent media reports that a rebel breakaway franchise league is attempting to sign up rugby's superstars.

The plans, initially reported in The Times, claimed the world’s best players would be offered large sums of money with a reduced calendar.

The reports suggest the lure of money - with 40 £1m-a-season contracts rumoured to be on offer for marquee players - and greater periods of rest, will attract big names.

Speaking exclusively to BBC Sport, Gilpin also said that World Rugby would "continue to be cautious" around possible investment from Qatar into the Nations Championship.

That tournament, starting in 2026, will be made up of 24 teams, split into two divisions, with promotion and relegation starting from 2030.

Early reactions to the idea of a rebel league have been mixed, with England’s Maro Itoje saying his focus would be on playing for his country.

While a new global franchise tournament would be staged away from international windows, the different selection policies of each nation would affect whether those involved could continue to play Test rugby.

According to the Times the proposed new league would consist of eight men’s franchise teams, playing a 14-round globe-trotting season, with each set of games being held in a different city.

Gilpin acknowledged that the men’s rugby calendar is "incredibly congested" but echoed Itoje's sentiment that international rugby should prevail.

"You’ve seen that reaction from players. Players are prioritising playing for their nation, it’s not like other sports where maybe a franchise league is an answer to providing more riches," he said.

"Whilst we always welcome innovation and investment in the game, at any level, we want that to be sustainable.

"That's a big issue for the sport as a whole."

World Rugby weighing up Qatar opportunities

Qatar Airways have become more prominent in the sponsorship of Test rugby in recent years

Gilpin was keen to stress that World Rugby’s focus was a "huge push across the whole sport to introduce the Nations Championships in 2026".

It is understood that Rugby Championship organisers Sanzaar, and the Six Nations group, are in talks to host an edition of the finals of the new tournament in Qatar.

While World Rugby is not directly involved in these discussions, Gilpin said the governing body would support investment into rugby "in a sustainable way".

"As long as those conversations are leading to more money in the sport in a credible way over time, then that’s good for everybody," Gilpin said.

When asked about concerns around investment from the Middle East and sportswashing, human rights and rugby’s LGBTQ+ community, Gilpin said: "We absolutely have those concerns anywhere we go in the world.

"I think we always have to be careful, we present ourselves to players and fans as a values-led sport.

"We’ve absolutely got to be true to that, that’s why, maybe rugby takes a little bit more cautious steps in this space than other sports do. That’s the right thing for us. We’re going to continue to be cautious, but we’ve also got to be realistic about where are the investment opportunities for the game."