Six big matchups have been reported for the 2024 July excursions, probably the final of the historically scheduled worldwide seasons as international rugby executives look to implement the brand new Nations Championship from 2026 onwards.
On Wednesday, The Occasions reported the July 2024 slate which was “pencilled in” throughout a 2017 international rugby summit in San Francisco. Every sequence was drawn up with the preliminary concept of limiting participant workload following a World Cup, that means the groups would play two matches as a substitute of the same old three. This can be amended by the point 2024 rolls round with the potential for groups organising non-Take a look at matches for his or her fringe gamers.
The 2025 Lions Tour of Australia additionally disrupts the annual July tour schedule, so if a Nations Championship is to return into play in 2026, then the 2024 worldwide season poses the ultimate alternative for the northern hemisphere groups to safe series-winning historical past on southern soil.
Listed here are the reported matchups:
England would journey to New Zealand for the primary time since 2014, giving Steve Borthwick his first and probably England’s solely shot at claiming a sequence victory on New Zealand soil. The storylines right here may very well be fascinating; will or not it’s Borthwick vs Foster or Robertson – or another person? Who will line up in opposition to Marcus Smith with the departure of each Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett? What number of skilled campaigners will both sides be having to switch after the World Cup? That last query can after all be utilized to the entire Take a look at sequence.
Present World No 1 ranked Eire would journey to present defending world champions, South Africa. Each aforementioned titles could also be a distant reminiscence by the point the perimeters lined up in Johannesburg. The popularity of the 2 sides at World Cups are polar opposites – South Africa hit type simply because the 2019 match’s knockout phases commenced whereas Eire’s critics are consistently chirping to the tune of “they’re peaking too early”. Simply what sort of World Cup success every workforce will likely be using would remember to add loads of intrigue and narrative to the sequence, as is the start of Eire’s post-Johnny Sexton period.
Argentina would host France, hoping to finish Les Bleus run of 4 straight wins and go one higher than each the 2016 and 2012 excursions the place the 2 nations break up the two-game sequence one apiece. The youthful nature of France’s workforce means there will likely be much less important turnover following the 2023 World Cup, so Los Pumas would have an almighty problem on their arms.
Wales would go to Australia, a tour that traditionally, Australia has dominated. Though, with Dave Rennie’s tenure in Australia producing a weak 37% successful charge and the likes of Eddie Jones and Scott Robertson available on the market, the matchup may look very completely different by 2024. Wales’ teaching instability makes their contribution to the tour equally as tough to mission. Equally, the tour would provide a chance to show over a brand new leaf for each the workforce in gold and in pink.
Scotland would tour the Pacific islands, precisely what this entails is unconfirmed. Itlay would fly to each Canada and the USA, with the latter hoping to attract extra worldwide competitors as they prepared themselves as hosts of the 2031 Rugby World Cup.