Qatar 'close in on £800m agreement' to host Nations Championship rugby finals after proposing a three-day 'Superbowl of rugby'

Qatar is closing in on an eight-year agreement to host the finals of rugby’s Nations Championship beginning in 2026, according to reports. 

The Gulf nation's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy have entered a two-month exclusivity period with Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR, the two bodies that will run the tournament as according to the Telegraph. 

World Rugby confirmed plans for a biennial Nations Championship beginning in 2026 last year, with the Six Nations to tour the southern hemisphere for three matches every other summer before playing three home games against the other southern hemisphere sides in the autumn. 

As reported by MailSport in April, the Qatari bid team are understood to have sent an offer promising commercial returns of up to £800million over the first four editions of the finals. 

The nation has now been given the green light to proceed in what will likely come as a relief given some unions' uncertain finances.  

In what has been described as the 'Superbowl of Rugby', Qatar is proposing to a three-day sporting festival to be held every two years from November 2026 which would be held at various stadiums in Doha, including the venue that hosted the FIFA World Cup final in 2022, Lusail Stadium.   

Under the proposals the top-ranked European team following the six group matches played by each side would face the leading southern hemisphere team in a grand final to determine the Championship winners. 

In addition the second-ranked Six Nations side would play the second team in the southern hemisphere table, with third playing third and so on down to sixth vs sixth.

Fiji and Japan are expected to join New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina in facing the European nations, with the sides being ranked on results in two six-team tables.

Qatar’s bid is based on the country being the perfect neutral venue for a final series offering huge commercial returns and is accessible to the teams and fans.

The gulf state is located almost halfway home for the southern hemisphere nations who will be travelling back from Europe, has seven world class stadia located within a 33-mile radius of Doha, and with winter temperatures in the low 20s offers excellent playing conditions for rugby.

Qatar are understood to be working in conjunction with marketing and sports rights agency Pitch International, who have previously sold TV rights on behalf of all of the Six Nations.

While the Nations Championship was unveiled by World Rugby last October the tournament is owned by 10 stakeholders – the Six Nations unions plus New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina – who will make the final decision on whether to accept the Qatari offer.

The Qatari government remain eager to build on staging the 2022 World Cup by hosting more international sporting events, particularly given the emergence of neighbours Saudi Arabia as a global sporting powerhouse.

Next year’s World Aquatics Championships will take place in Qatar, as will the 2027 Basketball World Cup, while a bid for the 2036 Olympics is also being considered.