Bid to move Six Nations to April receives support

Bill Beaumont's bid to move the Six Nations to create a global rugby season has received support from the players' union in England.

New World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Christian Day, chairman of the Rugby Players’ Association, has praised World Rugby’s incoming chairman Beaumont for admitting the Six Nations may have to move to April.

World Rugby want a streamlined global season to safeguard players against injury through being overworked by the sheer number of games they must play.

Six Nations chief executive John Feehan has previously branded the tournament’s February-March slot “non-negotiable”, but Beaumont insists change could be on the cards – and has received immediate support.

“It’s brilliant Bill’s come out and said that,” Day said.

“I hope he can do it, we’ll have to see if he can.

“Hopefully, the southern and northern hemispheres will get together and work things out for the players.”

Beaumont was sworn in as World Rugby’s new chairman in Dublin on Wednesday, and will start the new role on 1 July.

The former England and British and Irish Lions captain has targeted aligning a global calendar as one of his top five priorities.

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