The Six Nations Could Be Set For Some Major Changes
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The Six Nations could be set for a serious revamp when the tournament organisers meet this summer, according to Welsh Rugby Union Chairman Gareth Davies.
There has been murmurs in recent months of a proposal to move the Six Nations tournament to April as part of a plan to create a global rugby season. A complete overhaul of the tournament’s current format is also on the cards which could see the introduction of bonus points, with promotions and relegation.
Speaking to BBC Wales, Davies labeled the current format ‘unsustainable’ and seemed optimistic that a revamp will indeed go ahead to lay the foundations for a global rugby season.
The main reason for the global season is player welfare, to try and cut down the numbers of games players are playing.
Our guys were in New Zealand in June, July. They started training the first week of June the previous year.
The New Zealand boys couldn’t get over it. These guys had been going for 13 months playing international rugby. That is not sustainable.
There’s a Six Nations council meeting at the end of this month and this isn’t to fuel speculation, it is an annual review of where the Six Nations sits.
So is it worth considering moving it? Do we look at bonus points, which is something that people have asked for to make it more exciting, scoring tries etc.
Do we look at ‘is it a closed shop for the Six Nations?’ Do we open the gates to Georgia, Romania or anybody else who is deemed worth and is capable of being in there?
So all those are up for grabs really.
A step in the right direction? We certainly think so.