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Episode Notes
The inaugural Nations Championship starts this weekend but does rugby need it? Do fans even know or care what it is?
Will Kelleher, Alex Lowe and Charlie Morgan are in South Africa ahead of England's match in Johannesburg on Saturday. They ask whether the re-vamped format will be successful or if it will struggle to breakthrough during a busy summer of sport.
Could it be a good thing long term? Or is it an unnecessary innovation?
They also look ahead to the opening weekend of fixtures and discuss the incredibly strong Springboks team named on Monday morning by Rassie Erasmus.
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"Does rugby need the Nations Championship?" is an episode of The Ruck. Runtime 52 min. Published June 29, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.
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- When was this episode published?
- June 29, 2026.
- How long is this episode?
- 52 min.
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- The Ruck. Browse the full back catalog on the show page.
- What does this episode cover?
- The Ruck covers rugby. This episode runs on the show's regular cadence.
