Pivac calls for World Rugby to sort global season

WAYNE Pivac believes the current crisis has gifted World Rugby chiefs the perfect opportunity to finally solve the nightmare of a proper global season.

The latest Kiwi in charge of the Wales national team, Pivac wants the game’s power brokers to finally sit down and thrash out a season that benefits both hemispheres.

“Everyone would like to see a level playing field between hemispheres,” said Pivac, below. “At the moment when the southern hemisphere comes north the last match of a tour is always tough.

“Flip to July and it’s the end of our season and going down to play New Zealand, South Africa or Australia is a tough ask. If in some way we could get the seasons to start and finish at the same time that would be a fair way of looking at it.

“To do that a lot has to change, but it would be great. It’s not an easy question to solve, but we do now have that opportunity.

“The game might look a bit different, certainly in the short term, post Covid-19 and I think a new global season is probably one we’d all like to see put under some scrutiny.”

Wales are in sixth place in the world rankings, but are still due to face New Zealand three times, world champions South Africa, Japan, Argentina, Fiji as well as Scotland before the 2023 pool draw takes place at the end of the year.

That could put pressure on Wales to stay within the top two bandings, and potentially steer clear of the Springboks, All Blacks and England, but Pivac isn’t worried about the process – or the hiatus over if and when those games will be played.

“We’re sixth at the moment, with one Six Nations game, the summer tour and then the Autumn matches to go,” he said.

“If July is cancelled completely it’s the same for everybody. As long as everyone has the same number of matches I think we’re OK. I am reasonably comfortable with the rankings at the moment.”