Plans for a World League panned

THE world’s top players have panned proposals for a new world league that are gathering pace.

Almost 40 players spoke on a conference call on Tuesday night, with captains from nine of the top 10 countries in the world joining in.

Plans are progressing to set up a 12-team world league that will kick in from 2020 and involve the USA and Japan joining the Rugby Championship.

The global league, that boasts the idea of at least 11 meaningful Test matches per year would also bring in significant revenue, reported to be around £7 million per year to each of the Unions.

Senior players have publicly backed the concept in the past but have ongoing concerns about the competition format.

With things seemingly moving at quite a pace, the players have voiced their concerns via the International Rugby Players Council. They relate to:

■ The player welfare concerns that arise from playing multiple Test matches in different timezones in consecutive weeks, as well as the increased long-haul travel that comes with it.

■ The lack of opportunity for Tier Two nations to progress, with Pacific island nations and Georgia.

■ Increased conflict between club and country surrounding player release and regulation 9.

■ And the potential impact the league would have on the Rugby World Cup and future British and Irish Lions tours.

Jonathan Sexton, Ireland flyhalf and IRP President said: “While players gave this idea a cautious welcome when we met at the end of last year, it now seems like a commercial deal on the future of the game is being negotiated at a rapid pace with little consideration given to the important points we raised with World Rugby in November.

“The issue of player load has never been so topical, however it needs to be properly understood. To suggest that players can play five incredibly high-level test matches in consecutive weeks in Novemberis out of touch and shows littleunderstanding of thephysical strain this brings”

England’s Owen Farrell added: “Players are definitely open to discussing a new global season, but what we develop has to work with the club game in order to reduce conflict, deal with player release issues and make sure their welfare is looked after.

“The proposal presented to us at the moment doesn’t seem to have considered this properly.”

All Black Kieran Read pointed out: “Fans want to see meaningful games; they don’t want to see fatigued players playing a reduced quality of rugby as part of a money-driven, weakened competition that doesn’t work for the players orclubs.”