Newly re-elected World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont has revealed plans for a new global tournament that could lead to two consecutive months of international action.
Beaumont is keen to resurrect plans for an annual competition, possibly with promotion and relegation, which were dropped last year, but stressed the European Six Nations would not be expected to change dates or format.
The former England captain's challenger and former vice-chairman, Agustin Pichot, was the key driver of the Nations Championship idea, but Beaumont has promised to carry it on.
Outside the Six Nations and the southern hemisphere's four-team Rugby Championship, which is due to take place in August and September this year, a 2017 agreement ensures dates in July and November are set aside for internationals.
"There could well be an appetite for putting the two windows together," says Beaumont, who has handed a second four-year term on Saturday. "It could be north going south in one month and then immediately afterwards, the south would come north the next month.
"But bear in mind, we have to take all stakeholders with us. You have to take the club game and European game with us."
Beaumont reveals "embryonic" talks have begun with representatives from both hemispheres, as well as the International Rugby Players union.
"What we will try to do is bring in a new competition that keeps the Six Nations a stand-alone competition, but there could well be an instance that in the Nations Cup, maybe not all the Six Nations teams are playing at the top level," he says.
"Sitting below that, you could have a subsidiary competition, featuring emerging nations, and you could well have promotion and relegation. We have to find funding that will enable this emerging nations tournament to take place."
Beaumont revealed an independent governance review would be chaired by British Olympic Association chairman and former sports minister Sir Hugh Robertson, with one of the issues being proposals to alter international eligibility rules.
"It would allow players, who might have played in a sevens tournament or might have played an odd game for a tier-one nation, to go back," he says.
"I just think it gives the opportunity to make some countries who are limited in their player resource.
"You also have to think that the grandparent rule, which applies to a lot of Pacific Island players who might not have been born on the island, but look upon themselves as Tongans, Samoans or Fijians... as that runs out, then it could well be that they find they are losing players."
The election exposed a north-south divide, with Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina all backing Pichot.
"Whatever happens in life, not everybody is going to agree with you," says Beaumont. "The question is to try and reach a consensus.
"I'd like to think, throughout my rugby administration, I have been able to reach a consensus."
Reuters
