IRB breakthrough to save international test game
By TREVOR MCKEWEN - Fairfax Media | Thursday, 10 May 2007
A breakthrough agreement between the English and French elite rugby clubs and the six top European national rugby unions is poised to save the international test game.
It may also lead to a dramatic scheduling revamp which could include an expanded Tri Nations tournament and the Six Nations competition being played at the same time in the middle of the year.
Fairfax Media understands intense behind-closed-door meetings in Dublin have led to the IRB agreeing to the clubs' long-time demand for clear international windows which would allow a logical progression from domestic English, French and Italian club competitions and the Celtic league into European club competition and then into test rugby.
The IRB and key national unions believe one of the ways this can be achieved is by moving Europe's Six Nations tournament from its traditional early New Year scheduling to June where it could run concurrently with Sanzar's Tri Nations, opening the way for Argentina and a composite Pacific Islands team to join the competition, perhaps as early as 2008.
The Celtic Unions within the Six Nations have previously resisted any moving of the Six Nations due to the potentially devastating financial consequences to them but the English and French clubs' boycott of the European Cup may have caused a change in thinking.
As a result, and after secret meetings in Dublin last week among key IRB, national union and club figures, the bitter decade-long fight with the English and French professional clubs may soon be over.
That peace has broken out will not be publicly announced until after the English national union concludes discussions with the organisations representing the English clubs' interests, both of whom are expected to rubber-stamp it.
The dramatic move is set to end the worrying devaluation of test match rugby with major countries increasingly either resting players for World Cup purposes, or failing to secure the release of players from English and French clubs.
It will also pave the way for another of the IRB's long-held aims - expanding SANZAR's Tri Nations tournament to include the Argentine Pumas and a Pacific Islanders composite team, possibly as early as 2008.
It is understood the Six Nations tournament would be played in June, allowing a Tri Nations tournament featuring Argentina and the Islanders to be held at the same time. Cross-hemisphere test matches would then be played in a window immediately afterwards in both Europe and in the southern hemisphere.
There are even suggestions the top two or top four placed teams in Six Nations and the Tri Nations might play each other annually immediately after the tournaments as part of the new window.
International squads would be full strength because no major club or franchise rugby would be played anywhere in the world during the new "test window".
The SANZAR unions could veto the change in the international schedule but as all the SANZAR officials have recently been in Dublin they have almost certainly been fully consulted. While the move may not have been one of the NZRU's most preferred options, it is almost certain to endorse the IRB plan, particularly if it includes new revenue-sharing arrangements for tests, but mostly as it will bring a merciful end to rival countries touring New Zealand with weakened squads.
New Zealand administrators were originally against previous suggestions of moving the Six Nations as if that was to happen, the northern unions wanted it, and the Tri Nations played earlier than June.This would have required the Super 14 to start in January so it was completed in time for any new test window.
If the northern unions are agreeing to a Six Nations in June, Super 14 could still kick off at its normal time.
This would allow the NZRU to also fulfil its obligation to its players to ensure a three-month end-of-season break.
The switch of the Six Nations to mid-year will allow the French clubs to kick off their national league in late August with the rest of the major European nations including the English starting their domestic leagues in mid to late September.
The domestic leagues would run through to the end of February, with no players taken away for Six Nations any longer. The European Heineken Cup would then be played in March through to early May.
The NZRU has always argued for a clear and continuous international window with an opportunity to grow the global game while ensuring player welfare. This may not be the NZRU's most preferred option which might have seen the global test window later in the year but the NZRU may have decided that this is the best it can get for now. The move will end November tours to Europe by the All Blacks with these now set to happen in July. The timing of RWC after 2011 is unclear.
