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Rugby: the puzzle of the future world calendar

2020-06-01T09:47:43.955Z


Between the desire to harmonize the calendars of the nations of North and South and the requirements of the Top 14, the meeting organized by the Fédérati


In the impossible world of pacifying the oval balloon, the coronavirus will have just sewn a few mouths. Thoughts continued to run, to press on, to go inside, relentlessly. And this confusion could well lead to an explosion of flowery words after the meeting of World Rugby, the International Federation, which will discuss on June 15 in Dublin, Ireland, its wishes to reshape the world calendar for the seasons to come.

Again, everything is complex in the land of rugby, ruled by king money, special interests and political maneuvers. Schematically, it is a question of harmonizing the calendars of the nations of North and the South, the latter living on championships more at all profitable, even seriously loss-making. We are talking about fixing the Six Nations Tournament in March-April, regrouping the tours in the fall, starting the domestic championships in December or January and ending in September…

The idea could have seemed clever as of this season, in the eyes of the thinking heads of the Top 14, if the virus had forced the clubs to play in empty stadiums at the resumption in September, a situation not viable for them. It would seem that we are heading - if the health situation continues to improve - towards a return of the public, at least in part. No question under these conditions of reducing its fields of action and exposure. The National League, as well as the English Premiership, the two financial lungs on the world stage, will be represented in Dublin and will defend their views.

Discussions promise to be tense

Concretely, what will happen this fall for the tricolor rugby players? If international travel is restored in complete freedom, the Blues will compete in their two tests against Argentina in France in October, before closing the 2020 Tournament with the reception of Ireland at the Stade de France and continuing on their tour fall by hosting Georgia on November 7 in Saint-Etienne, Australia (the 14) and South Africa (the 21) at the Stade de France.

If the nations of the South cannot move, World Rugby plans to organize a new edition of the 2020 Tournament, as a whole, instead ... The National League is ready for some concessions, to release dates, exceptionally. But not more. The Top 14 clubs have already been financially affected by the end of competition in mid-March. They will refuse to cut even more on their calendar and deprive themselves of their internationals all autumn. The discussions promise to be tense.

Especially since it remains to cram the final phase of the 2019-2020 European Cup and to start the 2020-2021 edition. A puzzle. If we add the idea supported by Bernard Laporte, the president of the French Federation, to organize a Club World Cup instead of the European Cup, under the aegis of World Rugby which he is vice -president, thus nibbling power on the National League of Paul Goze, we can expect some great passes of arms. And serious jolts in the heart of an oval world always quick to tear.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2020-06-01

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