IRB breakthrough to save international test game

[woosaah]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4054097a1823.html

So this is it in a nutshell, the IRB has put in plans to move the six nations to play at the same time as the tri nations in July. This is to make an international window where players from all clubs (inc english and french) to have their players available for these games. This also opens up the possiblity of having Argentina and Pacific Nations join into the Tri Nations. This would get rid of the Novemeber tours at the end of the year for the Southern Hemmisphere Teams.

The Norhtern/southern games would be played after the tri nations and six nations and even a possiblitiy of having the top two from each comp play out in a mini 4N torny or something similar.

What do you guys think of this plan? I really like it. And it could come into effect as early as next year.

 

[getofmeland]

I am actually not sure about this, to be honest yes it would work, but the problem being would be come down to player burnout, especially in the Northern Hemisphere Leagues, when they don't finish til the May... The other issue is seasons, Rugby in the SH is suited when its Summer in the NH and vice versa.. in all respects it does sound sensible its when you drill down into the finer details... Especially with the awkward NH Rugby...

 

[Prestwick]

Now that is a nice plan, just put the two yearly majors to run at the same time! Lets face it, even with Argentina, there would still only be ten teams so it'd be like watching a small scale World Cup every year.

It'd also ensure that International tests would continue in one form or another which is awesome. I take it the actual International Tests would run in the summer also and would alternate with matches held in the North one year and the South the next?

I like it. This is just what the doctor ordered.

 

[Bullitt]

I like it.

 

[shtove]

I don't believe it. That journalist went to Dublin, got ******, fell in the Liffey, crawled back to his hotel room and had to meet a deadline.

If it's realistic, then it looks like NZ, France and England have reset the clock. This is exactly what Prestwick predicted.

Who's on for playing France in Paris in 40 degrees of heat?

 

[melon]

bah says: I like.

 

[SaintsFan_Webby]

So what happens when events such as Lions tours come around?

I like the fact it would get rid of pointless summer tours, but I wouldn't particularly want to see the 6 Nations cancelled any season.

Would also only work if the RFU shorten the domestic season by dropping dead weight such as the playoffs and the overcomplicated structure of the EDF Cup. Otherwise NH players will end up playing virtually all year round with no prolonged period of rest.

 

[TRUE LEGND]

Best thing Ive heard since slice bread was invented...

LOVE THE IDEA TO BITS!!!

 

[candybum]

thats using their noodles!! lol

but i look forward to those end of year tours to be honest

why is their season (northerners) so long??????

 

[Prestwick]

To temper this with a bit of caution, other, more newsworthy media outlets (i.e. the BBC and the Telegraph) have not reported on this in the slightest.

According to the Telegraph, England and Premier Rugby have yet to meet to thrash out their existing issues while also running stories about the other home nation Unions cautiously accepting news of the saving of the HEC (which in itself isn't written in stone yet itself).

Maybe something will come out by the time of the World Cup, we will see.

 

[BokMagic]

Well, I for one am a bit sceptical as to whether or not it`ll actually happen. Common sense suggests that it`s the ONLY way forward for rugby, and I for one would absolutely love this concept to be adopted. As long as that other great touring tradition, the British and Irish Lions tours, remain intact. But I`ve been a strong supporter of a true global season for rugby for a long time now, an this would definately be a step in the right direction.

But for it to happen, the IRB would need a radical change in their thinking- they`ll need to adopt common sense. It`s a foreign concept to them.

 

[Boggle]

Does this mean we'd get to see that Global club competition sometime ?

I read the "blueprints" for the comp in the SA rugby mag, it made me die of excitement.

If they ever actually DO that, I would die a happy man.

32 of the best clubs in world rugby playing a "club world cup" basically.

 

[BokMagic]

Boggle, it could, and in fact should, happen. Just imagine- a global club/franchise season, followed by a global test season. No more bickering over club vs. country, no more depleted SH sides touring at the end of a long season in Nov. and no more depleted NH sides touring at the end of a long season down south in June. The best national teams, all the time, and there is still time for the traditional comps like the CC/ANZC afterwards.

It makes perfect sense, and it should happen, full stop. In actual fact, it should have happened in 95 already, when rugby became a professional sport.

Problem is, the powers-that-(not)-be at the IRB are mostly still the old-school, gin-and-tonic brigade, so aptly described as the "57 old farts" by Will Carling a few years back. Will they have the foresight to really do what`s right for the great game of rugby?

 

[TRUE LEGND]

I believe this idea will connect the rugby power houses closer together

 

[Prestwick]

Agreed. It sounds very very snazzy an idea to pass up.

 

[shtove]

I think I read a GPL spokesman saying Serge had been misunderstood all along: he only wanted chocolate croissants, when everyone thought he'd been ordering coq au vin. These people can bullshit - but so can the press.

Can't find confirmation of this mad NZer's dream. But nobody's really objecting - except the Lansdowne Road crowd, who don't want their annual ****-up disrupted.

 

[woosaah]

if they do have a world club competition it will be the only sport that has top clubs play from all over the world (not just european clubs or something or like the "world series" the americans have between canada and the states etc)

it will raise the exposure of the sport, and may bting in division 2 or 3 world clubs around as well to let other countries try earn their right to play in the competition that will be awesome.

but they have to take it in stages, first get this off the ground, get another team for the sh comp and then work on a club competition.

 

[shtove]

This is the best confirmation, but it may just be a cog of the NZ report:

http://www.breakingnews.ie/text/?c=SPORT&jp=MHKFAUAUOJCW

BreakingNews.ie - 11 May 2007FRONT | IRELAND | SPORT | WORLD | BUSINESS | ENTERTAINMENTIRB considering summer Six Nations10/05/2007 - 15:56:55

Reports out of the IRB's Heineken Cup meeting in Dublin suggest the Six Nations competition could be played at the same time of the year as an expanded Tri Nations tournament.

There are also suggestions the top two or top four placed teams in Six Nations and the Tri Nations might play each other as part of the proposed new international window.

The Southern Hemisphere unions could still veto the change in the international schedule but with the Sanzar officials having recently been in Dublin they would have been consulted in the planning process.

© Thomas Crosbie Media 2007.

 

[Canadian_Rugby_Guy]

I'd like to ask the mods to stash this thread away somewhere so that we can look at it in a year's time and still see if we all like the idea.

 

[Ripper]

if they do have a world club competition it will be the only sport that has top clubs play from all over the world (not just european clubs or something or like the "world series" the americans have between canada and the states etc)

it will raise the exposure of the sport, and may bting in division 2 or 3 world clubs around as well to let other countries try earn their right to play in the competition that will be awesome.

but they have to take it in stages, first get this off the ground, get another team for the sh comp and then work on a club competition.
[/b]

Soccer has their World Club Competition every now and than - one of the NZ Teams was apparently "3rd Best Team in the World" or some crap since they only take the winners from each region.

And a World Club Competiton would be 100% pure kaka IMO. If you want it so much just let the Best Team in the South play the Best Club in the North once a year.