How do I feel about rugby in 2026? I am not too sure. We were supposed to have the launch of Ultimate Sevens and R360 but one of those has been mothballed until 2027, we were supposed to have an exciting promotion race in the Champ but ring fencing may stop that, and we’re still not sure whether loss-making Prem clubs will live to see the end of the decade.
With that in mind, here are my rugby business stories to watch out for in 2026.
Sevens rugby heaven
I, for obvious reasons, am very excited to see how the proposed Ultimate Sevens project goes. It is supposed to launch later this year and the group behind it – Sunderland owners Bia Sports Group – recently confirmed that they had 120 players signed up.
What they’ve done, which R360 couldn’t do, however, is name some of them – suggesting they’re closer to launching than the 15s equivalent ever was.
Players include sevens star of the year Madi Levi, Australia captains Henry Hutchison and Bella Nasser, Lucas Lacamp, Pol Pla, and Abbie Brown.
The entry level to buy a franchise is reported to be in the seven-figure range, and could see returns delivered in a few short years.
It will be fascinating to see how it turns out, where they play and whether they can leverage sevens’ Olympics connections to entice the likes of Ilona Maher and Antoine Dupont.
Prem investment via ring fence?
It looked as though Prem Rugby turned a corner in 2025 when Red Bull invested into Newcastle, and 2026 could be the year other investors follow.
We know that Liverpool investors Fenway Sports Group and Manchester United’s Glazer family have each been monitoring the situation, and Deloitte and Raine Group have been appointed to take a look at the viability of external investment.
It sounds great on the surface but clubs are struggling and owners seem reluctant to continue to pump in millions; losses are continuing across the league and other leagues in other sports are offering better returns.
And that means Prem Rugby clubs are looking at ring fencing and subsequent franchising. This is controversial and how it plays out could decide the fate of the game not only for Prem Rugby and England’s national team, but the entire pyramid below the top flight.
Sink or swim rugby Nations Championship
It is a huge year for international rugby, with the scrapping of summer and autumn internationals and the introduction of the Nations Championship.
It’ll see the international windows maintained but with trophies to win every two years – putting silverware on the line is part of a push to take rugby to the Middle East and United States.
But there are concerns over whether fresh, new partners want to invest in the project for the long-term, and the fact that Fiji won’t play their home games at home – they’re hosting England in South Africa.
On a positive note ITV have taken the rights for this – worth a reported bid of £80m – meaning all England internationals between now and 2029 will be on free-to-air television.
Champ divorce?
City AM reported over the festive period that the Champ Rugby clubs could seek a divorce payment should they be forced away from Prem promotion due to franchising and ring fencing.
And it follows further reporting relating to Cornish Pirates saying they would “bang the door down” to reach the English top flight.
It appears that 2026 could be the year the Prem vs Champ battle comes to a head, and that could make or break the English pyramid.
On the other hand, the Champ simply needs to find itself better television exposure – even if that means taking a smaller payment from a broadcaster – and a title sponsor. It will struggle to fight alone without these partners on board.
So there we have it, four stories to watch out for over the next 12 months. Happy New Year!
Former England Sevens captain Ollie Phillips is the founder of Optimist Performance and is rowing the Atlantic to raise money for MND charities. Donate and follow at World’s Toughest Row