The rugby federations of Romania, Georgia, Portugal, and Spain have officially announced the formation of the Four Nations Alliance, aimed at fostering sports, financial, commercial, and institutional cooperation to promote rugby development in these four countries.
In September, representatives from the rugby federations gathered in Georgia to initiate the formation of the Four Nations Alliance, which will operate within the frameworks of Rugby Europe and World Rugby.
Strategic Collaboration in Rugby Development
The primary goal of the alliance is to enhance rugby in the four nations, with specific practical methods in place to achieve this. Firstly, the Four Nations Alliance will advocate for the mutual interests of its members regarding competitions, scheduling, funding, and governance, acting in a coordinated manner.
- High-performance cooperation and coaching education
- Development of youth rugby
- A study on new, higher-level competition formats among member nations
- Joint commercial opportunities
- Coordinated positions in international organizations
To formalize the establishment of the Four Nations Alliance, key officials from the federations signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The alliance will be governed by a Coordination Committee with a rotating presidency.
- Georgia: David Kacharava, President, and Vasil Abashidze, CEO of the Georgian Rugby Federation, along with George Nijaradze, World Rugby Council Member.
- Portugal: Carlos Amado da Silva, President, and Frederico Sousa, High-Performance Director of the Portuguese Rugby Federation.
- Romania: Alin Petrache, President of the Romanian Rugby Federation.
- Spain: Juan Carlos Martín Hansen, President, and Gabriel Sáez, Vice President of the Spanish Rugby Federation.
“We are extremely pleased to have a common voice for the first time,” stated Alin Petrache, President of the Romanian Rugby Federation. David Kacharava, President of the Georgian Rugby Federation, echoed this sentiment, saying, “We now have a stronger voice to continue progressing.”
