Sam Warburton backs ‘catastrophic’ Six Nations relegation match despite Wales ‘plummeting so quickly’
Wales forwards Will Rowlands and Tommy Reffell and ex-captain Sam Warburton.
Ex-Wales captain Sam Warburton has maintained his position around the implementation of a Six Nations relegation match despite the “catastrophic” impact it would have on Welsh Rugby.
Warburton first backed the idea back in 2021 during Italy’s torrid run in the Championship while Georgia continued to dominate the Rugby Europe Championship.
Italy finally ended their seven-year winless run in the tournament defeating Wales in 2022 and were highly competitive in 2024 as they beat Wales again and knocked over Scotland while drawing to France.
The focus has now turned to Warren Gatland’s men who endured a winless Six Nations campaign in 2024 and failed to triumph at all for the rest of the year entering 2025 on a 12-Test losing streak.
Wales’ drop-off
That extended to 13 in the opening game defeat to France where Galtand’s side were swept aside 43-0.
While some would predict that Warburton’s stance on introducing a relegation match to the Six Nations would shift now that it is his country in what was Italy’s position, he has not.
In fact, he continues to back the idea while saying that he believes that the drop-off from where Wales were in 2019 to where they are now is the biggest ever seen from a Six Nations team.
“In 2019, it feels like ages ago, it was just six years ago but Wales were ranked number one in the world,” Warburton said on the BBC’s Rugby Union Daily podcast.
“I don’t agree with the rankings, they weren’t the number one team in the world, but it showed that they had an amazing run, they were Grand Slammers going into that World Cup.
“I’m trying not to look at this through red-tinted glasses but Wales historically in the last 15 teams have been one of the top three teams [in the Six Nations], always been competitive, don’t lose by more than a score they’ve been there or thereabouts always – obviously barring a few games.
“But now is it the biggest drop-off we’ve ever seen from a Six Nations side in the Six Nations’ history [since Italy joined]? Has a side ever plummeted so quickly?
“Has a good England team ever gone this bad? I don’t think so, has a French team gone this bad? We lost 43-0, 1998 was the last time we got nilled. I don’t think there has been a bigger drop-off in the Six Nations’ history.”
Six Nations relegation match
Addressing the “elephant in the room”, his previous comments about relegation, Warburton added that while it would be disastrous for Wales to be relegated to the Rugby Europe Championship – the spectacle that a relegation match would create is too good to ignore.
“I bet there’s some people listening this podcast going – ‘I bet you don’t want a relegation battle now, Sam, do you?'” he said.
“Because I said this when Italy had lost however many in a row, there should be a relegation play-off’.
“If you asked me now, ‘What do you reckon now, Sam?’ – absolutely (yes).
“I’m not sat on my perch here saying that Wales are untouchable. It would be brilliant TV.
“I know what people are saying now, ‘You can’t do that because it would ruin the game financially, if Wales go into the Rugby Europe Championship they’d have to go and play Portugal, Russia, Spain.’ Yes, of course, the financial drop-off is going to be massive.
“There might need to be some sort of balloon payment to help the big drop in earnings the next year – that would be catastrophic for regional rugby, I’m involved for regional rugby, the funding it would be a disaster.
“But all I’m saying is that the drama and the opportunity for Georgia – because they’ve won it so many times – would be amazing. It would be amazing rugby. If Wales played Georgia in a play-off this summer, would you watch it?”
Fellow ex-British and Irish Lion, Ugo Moyne replied: “Yeah of course we would.”
As Warburton continued: “Massive game, massive game, I reckon that would get as many viewing figures as Wales v England – which, historically, on the BBC gets 8-10 million.
“English fans are going to be like – ‘What’s going to happen here? Are Wales going to do down?’ – it would be a massive game. I just wanted to say that, in case there are people now going – ‘What do you think now, Warburton!?'”
