Mako Vunipola of England takes on Ardie Savea of the All Blacks during last year's clash at Twickenham. Photo / Getty Images
Mako Vunipola of England takes on Ardie Savea of the All Blacks during last year's clash at Twickenham. Photo / Getty Images
World Rugby hopes to secure agreement to extend the window for test matches to be played each autumn during key meetings in London next week which could provide the “breakthrough moment” for a new world league competition.
Telegraph Sport revealed in March that a blueprint for a new tournament starting in 2026 - including a northern versus southern hemisphere “grand final” every two years, as well as the ringfencing of the Six Nations Championship - had been agreed.
A final consultation phase, including surveys with the players and leagues has since been conducted, and all major stakeholders from the northern and southern hemispheres, will assemble at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington for a four-day summit next week to discuss the conclusions.
Two days have also been set aside for negotiations to secure agreement to changes to World Rugby’s Regulation 9, which guarantees the release of players for international matches, from three to four weekends in November.
This is required to accommodate the “grand final” and possibly also a promotion and relegation match from 2030 to provide a pathway from a second-tier competition which is expected to be launched next year for nations including Georgia, Samoa and Tonga.
Portas Consulting, a global management consultancy business based in London, has been leading the review over Regulation 9 and there is growing expectation that a deal can be struck.
“The stage is set here for closing this thing out,” said one source close to the talks. “You have got willing parties from all corners - the Six Nations group, the Premiership and it sounds like Sanzaar [the main southern hemisphere unions] are getting their act together as well.”
Sources close to the negotiations say agreement on a fourth weekend for test rugby will be critical to securing the new global season framework, which could also see the southern hemisphere’s Rugby Championship switch from the traditional summer slot to coincide with the Six Nations in February and March.
It is understood that World Rugby want to hold a summit similar to the one staged in San Francisco in January 2017, that led to the last global season agreement, during the Rugby World Cup in France in September and October with the expectation of unveiling the new ‘Nations Cup’ during the tournament.
“The format is agreed, the last detail to get over the line is the revenue share and the complexities over the fourth weekend in the autumn,” said another source.
“The French Top 14 league is taking the hardest line on this, but if we can get agreement on Reg 9, it will be the breakthrough moment.”
To secure buy-in from the clubs, particularly in France (the England clubs already have an agreement with the Rugby Football Union to play four tests each autumn), it is likely that changes to Regulation 9 will also include financial compensation to recognise their financial risk and investment in developing the players.
“I will be going into that room saying ‘let’s crack on with this’” said one source. “Let’s constructively sort out how the player release mechanism will work.”
Mako Vunipola of England takes on Ardie Savea of the All Blacks during last year's clash at Twickenham. Photo / Getty Images
Players’ concern over Six Nations fatigue
One sticking point, however, could be if the clubs push for the Six Nations to be reduced from seven to six weeks to accommodate the extra weekend for Test rugby in November although it is not thought to be currently on the table for discussion.
It is understood some players have expressed concern about the physical demands of playing the championship with just one weekend off, while there is also opposition within some unions.
Warren Gatland, the Wales head coach, told Telegraph Sport that it would be difficult for the Celtic nations and Italy to cope, given their smaller playing bases and could affect the quality of rugby on show for supporters.
“It might be okay for France and England, but I am not sure if the rest of us will be able to cope with the attritional demands of reducing the Six Nations from seven to six weeks,” Gatland said.
“And if they shave a week off now, the next target will be to reduce it to five weeks. Player welfare has to come into it. It was tough enough for us this season to finish with two games in a row. Fans also want to see teams playing at full strength, not impacted by injuries.”
Other sources have suggested that the Six Nations may not have to be reduced if the final weekend in November only involves the final and promotion and relegation match, rather than all countries involved in playoff matches to determine final standings.
The proposed new league structure, which will only include games that take place in the summer and autumn windows, is to be formed by two groups of six teams from each hemisphere - namely the Six Nations and Rugby Championship sides, with Japan and Fiji also expected to be included.
Northern hemisphere sides will play three southern opponents away from home in the July window, bringing to an end the traditional summer tours of two or three Tests against one host country.
The fixtures will be replicated at the home venues of the northern hemisphere nations in the November window, with the tournament to be held every two years from 2026, with fixtures rotated so that every side plays against each other over a two-tournament cycle.
The stakeholders are confident there will be a significant uplift in the broadcasting and commercial values for both hemispheres.
