International rugby powers are set to give the Pacific Islands the middle finger, with plans to create a World League in full force.
NZME reports a new 12-team competition has been given the green light by all involved, including Japan and the USA, who will join the Rugby Championship.
The revamp to the international calendar will leave Samoa, Tonga and Fiji out in the cold outside World Cup years.
According to NZME, an unknown broadcaster has already tabled an offer to finance the competition in a deal that would earn each nation $NZ10-14m a season.
The format would see all 12 nations play each other once a year, with the top four playing off in November or December.
The All Blacks would host three tests in July, against three of the Six Nations sides, before travelling north at the end of the year to play the other three.
NZME reports the Rugby Championship and Six Nations competitions would remain intact in a straight round-robin format.
What the World League means for the All Blacks:
- Three tests in July against Northern Hemisphere opposition
- Revamped Rugby Championship to include USA and Japan in single-match format
- All Blacks to play three more tests in Europe, against the three Six Nations teams they didn't play in July
- Semi-final and final to be played in Europe in November and December
Newshub.
