Latest from World Rugby on Global Calendar

[Heathen]

https://www.world.rugby/news/571247

World Rugby Council votes on June 30th.

[Neils]

And the French and English clubs tell them to "do one" on July 1st.

[Skippy]

+1

Global calendar my 4rse. It’s always cover for an attempt to impose the SH calendar globally.

[Neils]

+1

Global calendar my 4rse. It’s always cover for an attempt to impose the SH calendar globally.

To get the North to pay for the South's financial failings.  I really don't see why we need to move from a winter game to allow them to continue in the winter. Should be them moving  to match us.

[jamestaylor002]

I have no issue with this global calendar if there are compromises on both sides but all I can see is the NH having to accommodate the SH and nothing being given in return. If the SH is winning the World Cup race 7 - 1 (as their fans like to remind us), then why is the SH not as rich, if not richer, than the NH?
The good thing about the Six Nations for us in the NH is that it is relatively unchallenged by major sporting events at the time it is held, are we at risk of losing that if we move into later months?
Anyway, now I've had my rant - I hope it gets thrown out.

[westwaleswasp]

 The six nations is an issue in terms of NH performances at the WC, as is the club structure here leading to some really weak teams sent abroad in June, such as the NZ tour of 3 matches under Lancaster.  I mean for fifteen years Wales have been a force in the NH and only this year got close to a WC final and although I thought they would have won against England in the final had they made it, they could easily have been ousted by France before. Ireland have been about as close to a World Cup as Fiji or Tonga, and yet win the 6n.

The NH has the money but I would rather have trophies than cash as a nation, and we do not help ourselves with a 6n that is the talk of the town and rakes it in, but where mediocre teams can win it and be celebrated as sliced bread mark two, often  thanks to the away/home split and a club game that acts against the interests of the teams with the biggest playing pools and the biggest potential on the world stage. Say what you like about the regional games, but Ireland and Wales have consistently been top table in the 6n whilst France and England for all their might and power of resources, actually have lower 6n returns than they should, a fact that is reversed come WC.

[Heathen]

This was in the Times today :

Clubs dig heels in as legal action looms over new calendar

World Rugby and the European leagues lurched a step closer to a legal battle yesterday after they failed to reach an agreement over plans for the postponed Six Nations and July internationals to be staged in October.

The English and French clubs, furious at World Rugby for excluding them from the working group that is designing the new global calendar, are understood to have made their feelings known in a meeting yesterday.

World Rugby wants to create a bumper autumn international window by staging matches postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic in October followed by the scheduled November Tests. Its plan is to then install a permanent two-month autumn international window into the global calendar.

For England, that would mean a seven-Test autumn this year: their postponed Six Nations game against Italy and two Tests in Japan before hosting New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and Australia at Twickenham. All of this would be dependent on government permission.

However, October is designated for club rugby and the European leagues have told World Rugby they will “not take a backward step” in defending their legal position. The clubs have said they will refuse to release players for Test matches because the delayed Premiership season and the Heineken Champions Cup are both scheduled to reach their climax in October.

The clubs’ opposition to World Rugby’s plan was reinforced yesterday in a frank exchange of views. The matter will be debated for another fortnight and then be voted on by the World Rugby council on June 30.

If World Rugby approves an amendment to the international release windows to cover October, they face a potential legal challenge from Premiership Rugby and the French clubs.

A World Rugby statement said: “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 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 June 30 following consideration and recommendation by the World Rugby executive committee.”

The French clubs also expressed their opposition to World Rugby’s plan to scrap the July Test window permanently and stage an international series in October and November in three out of every four years.

Premiership Rugby said it was going into the meeting with an open mind but was expected to back their French colleagues. Bill Sweeney, the RFU chief executive, is on the World Rugby working group designing the new global calendar.

The forum agreed to “further commercial and player welfare modelling in full collaboration with the club game to better assess the viability and attractiveness of a global release period of October/November from 2021, replacing the July window”.

World Rugby said: “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.”

[Hymenoptera]

Thx for sharing Heathen. Utter garbage for me, benefits the SH only and could be the death of NH rugby in terms of already struggling income.
Less Intl's games, less game for players...job done.

[Neils]

Thx for sharing Heathen. Utter garbage for me, benefits the SH only and could be the death of NH rugby in terms of already struggling income.
Less Intl's games, less game for players...job done.

+1

[baldpaul101]

The thing that ALL sides in this need to remember is that none of them can survive alone.

the NH needs the SH for big gates & decent competition.
The SH needs the NH for the same reasons.
The International Game needs the clubs to provide players & develop new ones.
The clubs needs the International game because that's where the money is, there is none in the club game anywhere.

Lets hope some sanity reins somewhere in this process.

[Neils]

The NH doesn't need the SH for big gates but the reverse is true. Competition yes it is welcome but always seems on SH terms (eg the charge that NZ place on them turning up).

[baldpaul101]

The NH doesn't need the SH for big gates

I'm not sure about that. When NZ, AUS or SA show up for the AIs at Twickenham the cheapest tickets are around £80 - £90. If its Japan or Samoa, they are £50.
If England only ever played Scotland, Wales, Ireland or France people would get bored pretty quickly & ticket sales would fall.

[Neils]

The NH doesn't need the SH for big gates

I'm not sure about that. When NZ, AUS or SA show up for the AIs at Twickenham the cheapest tickets are around £80 - £90. If its Japan or Samoa, they are £50.
If England only ever played Scotland, Wales, Ireland or France people would get bored pretty quickly & ticket sales would fall.

Ok in part but remember the ticket prices are high because the NZRFU charge England alledgedly 3m to turn up. If the NH got it's own act together with a meaningful competition crowds would still be good.

Interesting comments coming from SA that they would like to add to their representation in the Pro 14/16/18.

[Hymenoptera]

The NH doesn't need the SH for big gates

I'm not sure about that. When NZ, AUS or SA show up for the AIs at Twickenham the cheapest tickets are around £80 - £90. If its Japan or Samoa, they are £50.
If England only ever played Scotland, Wales, Ireland or France people would get bored pretty quickly & ticket sales would fall.

Ok in part but remember the ticket prices are high because the NZRFU charge England alledgedly 3m to turn up. If the NH got it's own act together with a meaningful competition crowds would still be good.

Interesting comments coming from SA that they would like to add to their representation in the Pro 14/16/18.

Neils has it, NH probably make less overall given the fee charged by these SH teams. Without these tours, I think SH struggle big time, lets face it, they play each other in the Championship every year.

[welsh wasp]

So what would we like to happen as opposed to what we would not like? And are we talking about rugby calendars from January 2021 onward as opposed to finishing off the 2020 6 Nations matches in the autumn and possibly having some SH tourists later in the autumn?
The 6 Nations is great in the late winter - or even whenever it is played. And we enjoy SH nations coming here in the hope, certainly in Wales's case, that we might beat them occasionally. And Twickenham and Cardiff are filled for all these matches.