English chief calls for Six Nations to be shortened

ENGLISH rugby chief Nigel Melville has called on Wales and their Six Nations counterparts to condense the tournament by a week, every four years to safeguard the British and Irish Lions’ future.

The former England scrum-half and interim chief executive of the RFU has proposed his preferred solution to the Lions’ preparations for the 2021 South Africa tour.

The Gallagher Premiership’s reshaped future seasons put the English club league’s 2021 play-off final on June 26, just a week before the Lions’ opening tour match in South Africa.

Guinness PRO14 bosses have already admitted they would reschedule their final once every four years, though Premiership chiefs have held onto their scheduled date - leaving stand-in RFU boss Melville putting forward another solution.

“Take timetables, my view is you can solve that problem,” said Melville.

“They (the Lions) need an extra week. If every four years we move the Six Nations from seven to six weeks, you create that extra week.

“So every four years why don’t we do that?”

Lions bosses fought against the odds of a densely-packed schedule to pull off a drawn series with New Zealand in 2017.

But that left then-head coach Warren Gatland and tour manager John Spencer insisting only extra preparation time would keep the much-loved Lions alive.

The Lions’ 2021 tour has already been cut from six to five weeks and 10 to eight matches, as part of global calendar reshaping agreed in San Francisco in January 2017.

The 2021 Premiership final has raised fears England players involved could simply be overlooked for Lions selection, given their lack of preparation time.

Asked if condensing the Six Nations would threaten player welfare, Melville replied: “No, because that week wouldn’t have a game. It would be better preparation for the Lions so they have that week off, as in preparing.

“So you’re saving a week here and putting it there.

“Instead of coming out of a final and going straight into a Lions tour, how about you have the extra week? That would make a difference.

“Is it better use of that week. That’s the kind of solution that could probably solve that.”

Meanwhile, brewing giants Guinness are set to become the new sponsors of the Six Nations in a cut-price deal, according to reports.

The PRO14 sponsors are set to extend their rugby portfolio in a sixyear deal to brand the blue riband tournament in the European game.

It is due to kick in this February when Wales open the 2019 tournament with a Friday night match in France.

The coming Six Nations is one of the most eagerly anticipated for years, with Ireland, Wales and England fancying their chances of winning and Scotland and France ready to make their mark.

But The Times report Guinness will only pay £6m for the first season that would grow annually to close on £12m by the end of the contract in 2024.

The initial deal is believed to be £3m down on the one-year sponsorship NatWest had for the 2018 Six Nations Championship.

That was also less than previous sponsors RBS were ploughing into the tournament.

When that 14-year RBS partnership came to an end, Six Nations chiefs believed a six-year contract could be worth up to £100m.

But it seems they face the prospect of settling for less than half of that.