RUGBY’S TIER-ONE UNIONS to look beyond their own national interest and back plans for a global Nations Championship, World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper has urged.
The sport’s governing body revealed its revised format for the tournament this month, after the original proposals were met with concerns about player welfare.
Under the new plans, the Six Nations and Rugby Championship would feed into a league system that would also feature fixtures in rugby’s other international windows.
The top team in each of the two hemispheres would then face off in a grand final, while those at the bottom would be at risk of relegation, with nations in the lower tiers battling to force their way into the elite.
The prospect of introducing promotion and relegation has been greeted with some trepidation, given that the tournaments have always been a closed shop.
But Gosper insists the changes would be for the good of the sport as a whole.
“Everyone sees the merits of what we’re doing,” Gosper told BBC Sport.
“Everyone sees that adding meaning and context to all of these matches that happen throughout the year is an exciting prospect.
“Generally, where there’s a bit of discomfort is around the issue of promotion and relegation. That’s understandable – many of these teams have been pretty well protected in closed competitions for a long time.
“What we’re asking is that some of that national interest is tempered by a little bit of concern about where the global game might be going as well. It’s trying to find that balance that will be important if this is to get across the line.”
Gosper added that the benefits of World Rugby’s proposals outweigh those of a rival bid for a 30 per cent stake in the Six Nations from private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, who also have a share in the Premiership.
“It’s about keeping the money in the sport and it’s about making our own decisions about what’s right for the sport, and you can do that when you have 100 per cent ownership,” he said.
World Rugby has also revealed that it will explore changes to the laws of the game following this week’s player welfare symposium.
Continued height tackle trials and a review of kicking rules are among the topics that will be looked into, as well as the possibility of reviewing yellow cards while a player in the sin bin.
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What are ya’s on about who’s paying who ? It’s no advertorial ! Am I the only one surprised and delighted them girls are getting a kit deal worth €60,000 ? I remember in my own county the great Wexford camogie team of the time having to scrimp and save to get a bloody holiday, even though they won an All Ireland, went so far that they done bag packing in Dunnes FFS ! Imagine the men doing that !!! Ladies sport, OK, it’s debatable that it’s not as entertaining as the men’s game but they don’t deserve to be treated as second class citizens ! Fair play girls, f@€( the begrudgers.
Is a yas anything like a yak?
Stay off the internet when you’re drunk like a good lad.
Kieran.. Maybe you should sponsor the Wexford team if you feel so strongly about it..
Maybe I did Marc.
I reckon this piece should be marked as an advertorial for McKeever Sports/thegaastore.com
Fair play to them. Sporting legends and really need to be recognised so…
Yeah Arthur absolute legends known throughout the country
Is that the old style crest? How come the men aren’t allowed use that?
can’t vouch for the ladies team continues with the old crest but I’m fairly sure the men’s team brought out the new crest which was in turn copyrighted by the county board. whatever way you look at it there was money involved.
The crest used here is the coat of arms of Cork City. The Cork GAA teams (i.e. the mens) came up with a new crest a few years back. I assume that because the Ladies Gaelic Football Association is (bizarrely) not a part of the GAA they can’t use it…
Ya Donncha, I know in Tipp and other counties it was a trademark issue and county boards came up with their own makey upey ones and I’d imagine it was money related indeed. Which begs the question are county boards now run like companies just like pro clubs?
Is it just me or does the adidas gear look crap when you know it’s sort of fake
Fake?
@lad I’m pretty sure no one working for adidas apart from the factory workers in Pakistan know about the gear still a great deal though
Bet Anna Geary will be looking savage in it oh & Aisling Thompson too, sexy ladies
@coco expect Ann Geary has retired from inter county playing now..
Free kit for the next three years…..a saving for the cork county board. If its a print (white on the inside) its shit just like the o’neills ones
Yeah the county jerseys are the same price as soccer ones but the county jerseys are poorer quality
Who is paying who for this article
About time the girls got something, they always play better & win more then the guys do.. Cork GAA hasn’t won hurling since 2005 & Football since 2010, shame on them…
Sixty grand wow it must be a really popular game
Jesus that’s ugly.