THE LAST WORD

THE latest indications are that World Rugby are ready to press ahead with revolutionary plans for the international calendar from 2020 with a global, 12-team Test league in the offing. Details are expected to be revealed in the middle of next month but the concern must be that any event of this nature will undermine the appeal of the World Cup. The marquee tournament will not seem quite so unique and enthralling if it is being played out in miniature every year. Anything that forces the cosy elite to visit poorer nations should be applauded, but the notion that the RFU and other leading unions will readily accept a loss of home fixtures and the income that comes with them beggars belief. Also, recent suggestions that there are too many ‘friendlies’ is a red herring. For instance, when Ireland host New Zealand in November, that Test match — the best of north v best of south — will have profound meaning, without the need for a league table or a knock-out event to prove it.