Hope for Pacific Island teams

Rugby bosses insist Pacific Island teams won’t be shut out of the proposed World League if they merit inclusion based on performance.

That was the message World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper delivered to news agency AFP as the proposed 12-team competition, to be contested annually, continued to gather criticism.

Player welfare and the plight of the island nations have been two of the major talking points since details of the championship were leaked late last week.

A boycott of this year’s World Cup in Japan by Pacific Island teams has even been suggested as a way to make their point.

The proposed World League format would see the top 10 ranked teams involved along with Japan and the United States because of their commercial value.

Gosper says that is the incentive for the island nations to avoid being in the ‘‘second division’’.

‘‘The two-division competition would provide more player opportunities and ensure financial stability for unions,’’ Gosper said.

‘‘Importantly, participation would be merit-based, based on rankings at an agreed time.

‘‘Therefore, there is no question of closing out the Pacific Islands as we would be adding two more emerging unions to the top table whilst financing a second tier competition with all the benefits that would bring to the players.’’

At present only Fiji, world No 9, would qualify. Tonga (14) and Samoa (16) would be in the second division.

Interestingly, World Rugby has invited Fiji and Japan, ranked No 11, along with tier one unions and player representatives to a meeting in Dublin later this month to consider the way forward for an annual international competition.

Gosper felt concerns about player welfare amidst a supposed more intensive test calendar were ill-founded.

‘‘This is a rapidly evolving ongoing conversation with all stakeholders and some of the concerns voiced were inaccurate and out of date,’’ Gosper said as rugby tries to find a suitable global calendar for teams from both hemispheres.

‘‘For instance, there was talk of playing five weeks in a row in November, but earlier this week we were talking about a fallow period when 10 of the 12 teams would stop playing.

‘‘In terms of the impact on players, at the moment test teams play an average of 12 games a year, this format would have them playing 11 matches a year and only extra matches if they reach the semifinals and the final,’’ he said.

He also moved to ease fears about the four-yearly British and Irish Lions tours and the World Cup, suggesting the World Cup could actually be expanded to involve more teams from the present limit of 20.

‘‘Lions tours would not be affected as we plan for a lighter programme in those years; the spotlight would be firmly on the Lions,’’ Gosper said.

‘‘Analysis confirms a more competitive international game, and therefore Rugby World Cup, would heighten the possibility of expanding the tournament to 24 teams.

‘‘It certainly would not erode the special and unique atmosphere of a Rugby World Cup and it could also act as a qualification vehicle.’’