The Nations Championship has suffered a significant setback after Qatar withdrew from an £80 million agreement to host the tournament's finals in 2028 and 2032.

The decision will also end its planned title sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways, due to ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East.

Following months of discussions, the two parties have agreed to abandon the proposed arrangement, which would have seen Qatar stage the six-match finals weekend on two separate occasions.

The country’s national airline was also set to become the competition's title sponsor for four editions.

According to The Guardian, which broke the news, the combined value of the hosting rights and sponsorship packages was estimated at around £80m each time it was staged in Qatar.

However, the Six Nations and SANZAAR unions behind the competition remain confident they can recover the money through alternative commercial and hosting agreements.

No title sponsor 

Although the Nations Championship returns this weekend, the competition will enter its final stages without a commercial title sponsor.

The competition has already gone without a title sponsor for its inaugural campaign, with the Qatar Airways element understood to be worth around £15m.

The original agreement was outlined last year, but Qatar has opted not to implement the deal ahead of the first three rounds of matches in July because of sensitivities surrounding the conflict.

There had initially been optimism that the arrangement could come into effect for the autumn fixtures.

However, continued tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran have ultimately brought those plans to an end.

The competition is still expected to deliver a profit during its first campaign.

According to The Guardian, it has already secured television broadcasting agreements with more than 80 broadcasters worldwide, while approximately 70% of tickets for the finals weekend in Twickenham have been sold.

The figures offer some encouragement for the organisers as they look to recover the financial value of the abandoned Qatar agreement through alternative commercial partnerships and future hosting arrangements.

France leading option for 2028

With Qatar no longer in the picture, attention will turn to securing an alternative host for the 2028 finals, with both France and Spain already expressing informal interest in staging the event.

The Nations Championship is expected to issue an invitation to tender at the beginning of next year, although France is the most likely outcome.

The Stade de France is among the potential venues, while the United States will host the 2030 finals, a year before staging the 2031 Rugby World Cup.

Who is competing in the Nations Championship

1. South Africa 
2. New Zealand 
3. England
4. Ireland
5. Argentina 
6. France 
7. Scotland
8. Wales
9. Australia
10. Italy 
11. Japan
12. Fiji