For many of us rugby fans, the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship are the be-all and end-all of international rugby. However, while these competitions may be the peak of our great game, an exciting world of rugby exists outside of them.
This is the world of Tier 2 rugby, and it has provided us with some of the greatest moments in the history of rugby. Who can forget underdogs Japan overcoming South Africa in the last play of their pool clash in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and the same team toppling both Scotland and Ireland during their home campaign at the 2019 Rugby World Cup? Only recently, Georgia triumphed over Italy before bringing the Principality Stadium to silence in their clash with Wales the following autumn. These Tier 2 nations are knocking on the door of the traditional rugby world, and the future of rugby depends on the success of these nations.
It would be an error to only view these Tier 2 nations in the context of their Tier 1 counterparts. The qualification process for the 2023 Rugby World Cup has provided some incredible moments. Uruguay beating the USA to achieve their first direct qualification to a Rugby World Cup, Chile squeezing past the USA to secure qualification for their first-ever Rugby World Cup, and Portugal securing qualification by winning at the death against... the USA. Sorry, America, it just wasn't your year!
Looking to Europe, the annual Rugby Europe Championship brings as much entertainment as the Six Nations, and with a radical new format this year, it promises to be as exciting as ever. With a truly open system of promotion and relegation, this competition has high stakes in every game. What's more, these teams are increasingly composed of elite players competing in the French Top 14 and Pro D2.
In terms of Tier 2 club rugby, Major League Rugby (MLR) in North America, the Rugby Europe Super Cup (RESC), Japan Rugby League One, and Super Rugby Americas are the new kids on the block. Each is building the future of our great game, and we here at Underdog Rugby cannot wait to see what that looks like.
New to the Tier 2 rugby world? Here are our top 5 sources of information and opinion:
- Tier 2 Rugby Forum: A Tier 2 and below rugby forum offering news and opinions from a wide range of contributors.
- T2Rugby Twitter: A Twitter account dedicated to the latest Tier 2 rugby news and opinions.
- Asia Rugby: The top news from the world of Asian rugby.
- Americas Rugby News: The leading authority on rugby in the Americas.
- SquidgeRugby Youtube: Excellent in-depth tactical and strategic analysis on a wide range of rugby (including Tier 2!).
