Eight-team tournament is latest proposal for autumn
WALES could play in an eightteam autumn tournament in London this autumn with world champions South Africa and Japan battling it out against the Six Nations countries.
It’s the latest idea as rugby chiefs attempt to come up with a plan to boost the sport’s dwindling finances following union being put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic.
Different options are being considered if the scheduled autumn internationals can’t go ahead, including a home and away Six Nations that would start in November and be continued in Feburary and March.
Now there’s suggestions of a tournament being held in London with two pools of four and a final taking place at Twickenham, MailOnline reports.
The desire of unions is to proceed with Tests that are already in the calendar, including Wales’ autumn clashes with South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and Fiji.
But contingency plans are being drawn up with RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney saying: “There’s another option of possibly bringing in additional invitational sides.
“It’s an opportunity to be creative and maybe create some type of festival of rugby.”
South Africa and World Cup sensations Japan are the two countries earmarked to join the Six Nations sides because they haven’t got as severe travel restrictions in place as in New Zealand and Australia.
This year’s Six Nations is yet to be completed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it’s hoped to finish it this autumn with Wales still to host Scotland.
Italian Rugby Federation president Alfredo Gavazzi has outlined the option of a home and away Six Nations.
But he added: “That’s one of the solutions, it’s not ‘the solution’ because the main solution is that of maintaining the autumn Tests for all the countries from the Six Nations.
“We can’t give a schedule but we are talking about alternatives to the November Tests, we are talking about the global situation, we are looking at the possibility of having other competitions.”
There is also the chance some of this year’s summer Tests could be played in October, with New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson voicing optimism about Wales playing two Tests Down Under against the All Blacks in front of fans.
“We’re certainly excited about the possibility of July moving to October ... It’s very much a wait and see,” he said.
“We’re talking to all different parties around what that might look like.”
SHANE Williams has opened up on the drama behind the game that rescued his Wales career.
The wing wizard went on to become Wales’s record try scorer, World Player of the Year and won two Grand Slams.
But he feared he was never going to be picked by his country again after being sidelined by former Wales boss Steve Hansen.
The turning point, Williams explains, came in the 2003 World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand – a match he should never really have played in because he was unwell.
He reveals he was put in quaran