Global season should be the real goal for World Rugby

Governing body must go further for meaningful change across the game

World Rugby’s proposal to shift the July tests to October this year is an encouraging sign of progress but to achieve meaningful change, the governing body must go one step further and make this a permanent move to create the longcoveted global season.

With the July tests, when Wales and Scotland are scheduled to tour New Zealand, near certain to be postponed next month, World Rugby is attempting to find alternatives.

Staging the southern hemispherehosted tests in October now appears the best case scenario yet much uncertainty remains about whether even that window will be possible.

New Zealand’s border is expected to stay shut until a vaccine for Covid19 is found, leaving the prospect of Wales and Scotland players entering the country in October problematic.

In a best case scenario Ian Foster’s first assignment as head coach will be the Rugby Championship, which is scheduled to start on August 15 and run through to September 26.

Even if the Rugby Championship is staged solely in Australia, which the Herald understands has not been discussed in any detail yet, the All Blacks would be required to serve two weeks quarantine on return to New Zealand.

On that basis there is not enough time to then stage three tests in October, before potentially venturing north for the scheduled November internationals.

In reality, no traditional crosshemisphere test rugby may be possible this year.

New Zealand Rugby is focused on a domestic resumption; firstly with Super Rugby derby matches followed by the Mitre 10 Cup and potentially reviving the North against South fixture, possibly in a State of Originstyle format.

Whatever transpires this year in regards to the test arena, World Rugby must use this crisis to leverage long-term change.

Pushing the July test window to October permanently makes sense.

It would allow the southern hemisphere to play domestic rugby through to August, which would then leave a standalone international window for tests to thrive.

This season structure would provide a natural progression from the Rugby Championship to the south hosting tests in October, followed by traditional northern assignments in November.

Rugby’s ecosystem needs a reset across the board, and this is the chance to finally achieve it.

The priority for all unions once rugby returns will be to maximise revenue.

Longer term, the best way to achieve that is through the test game and a sustained window that allows interest to be captured and retained.

Protectionism and self-interest from northern unions previously killed off hopes of a global season, and moving the July tests to October would require sacrifices on the part of the European clubs.

Getting those club’s rich, independent owners on board is never easy. But if this period of significant financial pain should teach rugby anything, it’s that to emerge out the other side with as few unions collapsing as possible, everyone needs to be aligned in the global vision.

Shifting the July tests to October would be a major win in that respect.

As for World Rugby’s $167 million relief fund package announced yesterday, the devil will be in the detail.

Specifics are yet to be released on the terms of whether these will be grants, loans or a combination of both.

Although the bailout offering will be welcome news for many, including the likes of Rugby Australia who are on their knees, the specifics of how funding may need to be paid back will determine whether New Zealand and other unions jump or balk at handouts.