World Rugby gets behind global calendar shift
Bill Beaumont during the 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool A match at Tokyo Stadium. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday September 20, 2019. See PA story RUGBYU Japan. Photo credit should read: Adam Davy/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only. Strictly no commercial use or association. Still image use only. Use implies acceptance of RWC 2019 T&Cs (in particular Section 5 of RWC 2019 T&Cs) at: https://bit.ly/2knOId6
World Rugby has welcomed the positive talks between the game’s major stakeholders for further dialogue regarding a global international calendar.
Talks between international and club officials have been ongoing recently, with the COVID-19 pandemic improving the chances of change being made.
And a World Rugby Professional Game Forum on Monday has also helped increase the likelihood of aligning the seasons, with frank views exchanged.
“With the global COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacting the 2020 rugby calendar and union and club finances, all parties recognise the need to agree a compromise solution that enables both disrupted professional club and international competitions to be completed this year,” World Rugby explained.
“In the absence of full alignment, further information sharing and discussion will be undertaken with all parties regarding the viability of proposed adjustments to the 2020 international release weekends stipulated in Regulation 9 that will enable postponed and other international matches to be played in an adjusted window from October, while enabling the completion of existing club competitions. The final decision on 2020 will be confirmed by vote of the World Rugby Council on 30 June following consideration and recommendation by the World Rugby Executive Committee.”
Reports have suggested the possibility moving forward of shifting the July internationals to October to create an extended end-of-year fixture list, with the Six Nations also moved to March and April and would be played alongside the Rugby Championship. However, that plan has reportedly not been warmly received by some European clubs.
“There was also commitment to further detailed commercial and player welfare modelling in full collaboration with the club game to better assess the viability and attractiveness, for all parties, of a potential new ongoing global release period of October/November from 2021, replacing the July window,” the statement continued.
“All stakeholders believe that meaningful reform of the international calendar is necessary in a much-changed post COVID-19 environment to revitalise the global game and deliver much-needed alignment between international and club rugby with fewer overlaps and enhanced player rest periods.
“Crucially, if managed appropriately, the proposed long-term calendar reform will enable meaningful pathways for emerging nations on a global and regional scale and the development of a global international women’s competition model with defined windows that do not overlap with the men’s competitions.”