An autumn eight-nations moving a step closer

AN autumn eight-nations tournament is set to take a step closer next week when the World Rugby’s executive committee hold their delayed meeting to thrash out the remainder of the 2020 international schedule and plans for a global calendar.

Reports surfaced last month with the likelihood of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa pulling out of their traditional autumn tours to Europe through the coronavirus pandemic, plans were being proposed to stage a second Six Nations tournament with the addition of 2019 Rugby World Cup hosts Japan and Fiji as guest countries.

World Rugby’s decision-making council had been scheduled to meet on June 30 to vote on the thorny issue of how many Tests will be played in the autumn, with unions desperate to start boosting their bank accounts, following the financial meltdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

But it was cancelled to give all stakeholders more time to study proposals after English and French clubs reportedly threatened they will not release players if there is a clash with European and domestic finals scheduled to be played in October.

There was also some discontent over plans to realign the global international calendar that would mean the English Premiership, Guinness PRO14, French Top 14 readjusting their seasons to include summer rugby.

But World Rugby’s executive committee sit next week for crunch talks about the remainder of the 2020 international calendar with their proposals voted on by the council a week later.

“We are ensuring that all parties have the time that they require to deliver the best-possible 2020 calendar solution for the global game,” a World Rugby spokesman said last month.

“Given ongoing constructive and productive meetings between stakeholders, we will not be putting a date on any decision at this stage.”

French media outlet Midi Olympique report the outstanding games from the 2020 Six Nations would be incorporated into the autumn Test schedule, but there’s been ‘fierce’ talks over dates and venues of the remaining games.

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