IRELAND HEAD COACH Joe Schmidt signalled late last year that he won’t be in charge of a team for whatever shape the 2020 season takes, but the Kiwi backed the players’ council in decrying the proposed ‘world league’.

As president of International Rugby Players (IRP) Schmidt’s long-term lieutenant Johnny Sexton led the criticism of the new tournament along with Owen Farrell and Kieran Read, captains of England and New Zealand respectively.

“When Johnny, when Owen, when Kieran Read are all saying similar things,” said Schmidt after leading an open training sessio in Belfast, “even from slightly different perspectives I think that World Rugby have to listen, don’t they?

Because World Rugby revolves around its prized assets and if you don’t look after your prized assets in any way, shape or form, in any sphere in life, then you are not going to be worth what you were before.”

The leaked format of the 12-team tournament, which could see the USA and Japan included for a lucrative 12-year run at the expense of Fiji (ranked ninth in the world, ahead of Argentina never mind Japan), Georgia (ranked 12, ahead of USA and Italy) and every other nation hoping to build their way into rugby’s upper echelons.

“Yes, you are trying to compete on a global stage where there is a lot of competition. But if you want to speak globally you can’t ring-fence 12 teams and say forever because 12 years is a long time for it to be exclusive,” said Schmidt.

“There are things that they are going to have to work out and work through.

“I will be finished, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love the game and I don’t want to be watching teams play. And that includes some teams that maybe aren’t fashionable now but in 12 years’ time could potentially be.

A lot of people have always enjoyed watching the Pacific Islands play. They have provided some of the most entertaining players that we have ever seen.

“Georgia and England had a bit of a scrum session again and, I don’t know who won the scrums or the fights afterwards, but I do know that they are looking to match up and improve themselves.

“For those opportunities to go awry as well, it is a complicated conundrum for World Rugby.

“I’ve only looked from the outside in. I have seen a few emails float around amongst players and things, but I’m watching from the outside like you guys and hoping we can get the best of all worlds. Which is not necessarily a reality but what we are all hoping for.”

Meanwhile, former Samoa international Daniel Leo – now working as player welfare manager for Pacific Island players in Europe – is calling for a World Cup boycott from Tonga, Fiji and Samoa.

“We are setting in place a vote of all our members over whether the Pacific Island nations should boycott this year’s World Cup,” said Leo.

Leo, left, celebrates a try with Census Johnston against South Africa at RWC 2011. Simon Watts Simon Watts

“We provide almost 20% of all professional players in terms of heritage. And almost a quarter of the players at the next World Cup will be of Pacific Islands heritage.

“So that’s where our strength lies, our strength in numbers, and that’s how we can mobilise. It is time for a legitimate player protest.

“This would be a disaster for the Pacific Island nations, and for any nation omitted from the top 12 teams to be frank.

“Even if promotion and relegation were involved, all that would happen would be that the top teams would pull away from the rest.

Now is the time for the voice of Pacific rugby to be heard through our players, so that we might head off this calamity.”

Bernard Jackman joins Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey to discuss the backlash to World Rugby’s league proposal, captaincy styles, sports psychology and more in The42 Rugby Weekly.

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