‘We don’t want a reduced quality of rugby’ - Players voice concerns over rugby World League plans

Scotland faced Argentina in the Autumn Test series, but they could face the Pumas again as part of the new World League. Picture: SNS Group

The New Zealand Herald reports that the Rugby Championship nations - that is, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - and Six Nations sides will be joined by the USA and Japan in the 12-team league.

Plans are set to go ahead after leading nations struck a deal, with an as-yet unnamed broadcaster offering to back the proposal to the tune of NZ$14 million (around £7.2 million) per season for each participating nation.

Rumours of the brand new league have been doing the rounds for some time, and the Herald suggests plans could be signed off in time for a launch in 2020.

The new format would likely see all 12 participating teams facing off once a year, with a finals series held towards the end of the year.

There will be no relegation or promotion involved, effectively omitting island nations such as Fiji, Samoa and Tonga from participating for at least ten years.

The Six Nations teams will head to the Southern Hemisphere to play three randomly-allocated tests, then the Rugby Championship quartet - and potentially Japan and the USA - will get under way in August.

The Southern sides will travel north in November to play the teams they didn’t face in July. The top four teams will then meet in the Northern Hemisphere to contest the play-off series.

This would set the number of tests played during a non-World Cup year at 13 and as such, there is concern about the increased travel time.

A number of the game’s leading players have voiced their concerns about the proposed competition, warning of serious “player welfare and integrity concerns”.

Senior players have voiced their support for the new concept but there are concerns over the make-up of the competition.

Members of the 40-strong International Rugby Players Council gave their thoughts during a conference call on Tuesday night. Nine of the world’s top ten international captains were involved in lengthy discussions.

Among the topics up for debate were increased long-haul travel in short time frames, the potential impact on the Rugby World Cup and British & Irish Lions tours, the quality of the international game, greater conflict between club and country, a lack of serious opportunity for Tier Two nations to progress and the challenge of players dealing with multiple top-level test matches in different countries and time-zones in consecutive weeks.

Council President and Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton 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.

“To suggest that players can play five incredibly high-level test matches in consecutive weeks, is out of touch and shows little understanding of the physical strain this brings.”

New Zealand captain Kieran Read added: “We need to be very careful that we balance the commercial needs of the game, with player welfare needs and ensure the quality and integrity of matches meets expectations.

“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 or clubs.

“This is a crucial moment for rugby and one that many players are generally excited about. However, we have to make sure that the integrity of the game and welfare of the players is protected.”

England skipper Owen Farrell raised concerns over conflict between club and country, adding: “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 [player] welfare is looked after.

“The proposal presented at the moment doesn’t seem to have considered this properly and shows no signs of improving this already difficult situation.”

The council’s CEO Omar Hassanein revealed that the players’ views have been communicated to World Rugby on more than one occasion.

He said: “World Rugby are failing to respect the players views and genuinely engage on the issues.  “It will be interesting to see their approach in the coming weeks knowing the current proposal does not have the players support”.