The World Rugby project of a harmonized calendar between North and South

Bill Beaumont and Bernard Laporte want to take advantage of the uncertainties that reign around the dates for resuming competitions to carry out an in-depth reform of the calendar. The re-elected president of World Rugby and his new vice-president are well aware of this. In the exclusive interview that the two leaders gave to Le Figaro, they also mention it. “We are currently discussing to group together the July and November tours in a single window. Juxtaposing these two windows is the best option for the future. You have to take advantage of the period to find an international period without too many duplicates with the clubs, the Englishman told us. There is a real dialogue right now, a genuine spirit of collaboration between the North and the South. ” A will confirmed by the president of the French Federation. "It's time to align the planets, to harmonize the calendars of the North and the South."

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A global season project with, by the way, an overhaul of the competitions by establishing, every two years, a Nations Cup. The years when the World Cup does not take place and the British and Northern Irish Lions do not make their quadrennial tour. This Nations Cup was an idea of ​​the unsuccessful presidential candidate of Wolrd Rugby, the Argentinian Agustin Picot, former right-hand man of Bill Beaumont and unsuccessful candidate for his succession.

The overall season would start ... in December

It is, on the basis of hens, that all the nations of the North and the South compete, with a final phase. With relegations and promotions in each edition so that the teams of Tier 2 (the second international division) can face the best, progress and, thus, do away with a world rugby dominated by always the same five or six selections. “By bringing the two international windows together, we could have two full months in the fall and offer a competition with promotions and relegations. This would prevent the same ten teams from constantly clashing, ”confirmed Bill Beaumont. 

Remains the most important (and the most difficult): to convince professional rugby (clubs, in particular French and English) to disrupt the calendar in order to align it between North and South and to be able to fit in this new Nations Cup . Several projects are under study. Whoever prefers the two new strong men of world rugby plans to start the season in December with two months of national competitions (national championships, European cup, Super Rugby). Then, in February-March, place at the Six Nations Tournament in the North and the Rugby Championship (which currently takes place in August and September). Resumption of club competitions from March to July. With the advantage of removing all duplicates. Holidays in August for players, resumption of training in September then international tests (in the form of Nations Cup or not) in October-November.

 Internationals available to their clubs only seven-eight months a year

This project will obviously cringe on the side of the clubs which will only have the players available for seven-eight months of the year. To hope to convince them, the national federations will therefore have to take the international players under contract and remunerate them part of the year. What is already practiced in the southern hemisphere, but also in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Once again, the hardest to convert to this global season will be the presidents of the French and English clubs. Not won but playable given the period full of uncertainty that is currently going through the world rugby and the inherent financial difficulties.

In a press conference this Sunday, Bill Beaumont assured that the Six Nations Tournament would not be postponed to another time of the year. “For me, what will change is what happens in July and in the fall. Why would we move the Tournament? It absolutely does not interfere with other competitions anywhere in the world, insisted the Englishman. We are indeed working on a global calendar but, for the moment, discussions on this subject are embryonic. ” They will accelerate as soon as the recovery dates are known. If by chance, rugby matches could not resume before January due to sanitary conditions, this project would be much more likely to be implemented in 2021.

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• Bill Beaumont and Bernard Laporte at Le Figaro: "It's time to align the planets"