Last spring, our English colleagues Daily Mail Qatar has been revealed as a candidate to host the final of this international league, the Nations Cup, against a cover of €930 million. Bringing together twelve of the world's best rugby nations, it will see the light of day in 2026. For Qatar, the rugby product is attractive, at a time when appetite for major sports is growing in the emirate. It embodies the logic of “sports diplomacy”. This small country on the Arabian Peninsula (2.5 million inhabitants) spent years trying to escape its isolation. The emirate initially showed interest in luxury sports, from the motorcycle grand prix to sailboat races, before the cycling tour, the ATP tennis tournament in Doha, and the 2019 World Championships in athletics, World Cup football and equestrian events. and automobile races. Obviously, no global sport escapes the biggest oil producers.

2026 in London and 2027 in Paris

However, the Qataris will have to wait a while before hosting an international rugby match. According to our information, the Irish and French federations have come forward in recent weeks against the idea of ​​the final in Qatar, and this last weekend the emirate requested a multiplication of matches that did not correspond to the concept of the initial project. Nor is there any desire to unclog the international calendar. In fact, the Nations Cup final will be held in London in 2026 and Paris in 2027. The Qataris, on the other hand, have lowered their ambitions since the Franco-Irish veto and returned to the negotiating table to host the competition's final in 2028.

As a reminder, the International Test matches in July and November will be replaced by the Nations Cup. Northern nations will head south for three matches in July, while those from the south will head north in November. At the end of these matches, the two highest-ranked countries in each hemisphere will meet for a grand final. But not in Doha, soon…