World Rugby Announces Historic Agreement On Long-Term Calendar Harmony

The Lost Sheep

Changes to international calender announced by World Rugby

June window will be replaced by a new July window. This will enable the Super Rugby season to run uninterrupted and to optimise July Tests preparation for all unions.

- July window to take place in the first three weeks of the month, comprising three Tests (with the exception of the year after the Rugby World Cup when SANZAAR unions will host two-Test series)

- July window will enable Super Rugby to be completed before the tests, while promoting optimal preparation time for tests

- November window to move forward one week (first three weeks)

- Rugby World Cup window cemented within the calendar, kicking off one week earlier in the second week of September

With rugby experiencing record global participation, fan-base and commercial growth, the schedule aims to accelerate the competitiveness of international rugby through unprecedented and annual opportunities for the Pacific Islands, USA, Canada, Japan and the European nations, including Georgia and Romania.

Emerging rugby powers will be integrated into the July and November windows, providing annual opportunities against the SANZAAR and Six Nations Unions across July and November.

- SANZAAR Unions committed to hosting tier two nations in July window, creating a blend of opposition

- France and England to tour the Pacific Islands, while USA, Canada and Japan also host tours

- Georgia and Romania to host matches against Six Nations unions within the July window

- Ability for rankings to determine inclusion of tier two teams in the schedule after Rugby World Cup 2019 and 2023 tournaments to ensure top emerging teams at the time are provided with tier one opportunities based on merit

- Six Nations unions to collectively host a guaranteed minimum of six tier two fixtures in each November window

- Tours to SANZAAR nations immediately after a Rugby World Cup year will be reduced to two matches
http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/39293.php#.WMqNbLtFeP8

thomond2006

My first question is I wonder how this affects the availability of internationals to the provinces at the start of the season.

The Lost Sheep

thomond2006 wrote: »

My first question is I wonder how this affects the availability of internationals to the provinces at the start of the season.

Hard to say. The provinces will be finishing mid/end of may with league amd then no games for June then internationals in July. Depends on games played and break before hand will be interesting

stephen_n

That will rebalance Georgia and Italy's rankings a bit. Though neither Georgia or Romania will face as strong squads as Italy do.

CIARAN_BOYLE

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

Hard to say. The provinces will be finishing mid/end of may with league amd then no games for June then internationals in July. Depends on games played and break before hand will be interesting

Will we see provinces finishing in May off season. Play July internationals with no preseason come back and do your preseason.

Looks terrible for the northern hemisphere unless the leagues shift.

Buer

Will this see the SANZAR nations season divided into two sections, eseentially? They play their Super Rugby season and then, from July, they have tests against northern opposition which runs into the Rugby Championship which runs (almost) into the November tests?

Seems a long time for the non test players to be going without top flight rugby.

Regardless, it's an improvement and a good intiiative to try and implement.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Buer wrote: »

Will this see the SANZAR nations season divided into two sections, eseentially? They play their Super Rugby season and then, from July, they have tests against northern opposition which runs into the Rugby Championship which runs (almost) into the November tests?

Seems a long time for the non test players to be going without top flight rugby.

Regardless, it's an improvement and a good intiiative to try and implement.

I suppose the second tier competitions currie cup etc will be on during the international season.

irishbucsfan

Not quite what they set out to achieve but at least they got everything they can all sign up to.

Now to stop the clubs prolonging their seasons.

You think they could have made a simple calendar graphic to visualise all of this

Zzippy

No mention of moving NH club competitions back to start and finish later? Internationals involved in summer tours will have 5/6 weeks of no games beforehand then won't be starting preseason until August, won't be available for games presumably until end September...

irishbucsfan

Zzippy wrote: »

No mention of moving NH club competitions back to start and finish later? Internationals involved in summer tours will have 5/6 weeks of no games beforehand then won't be starting preseason until August, won't be available for games presumably until end September...

No agreement made on that, that's a different ball game

Former Former

Surely it's implied that the NH club seasons will shift too?

Like, you can't have the players with a month off after the club season before the July tours and then with a two-week break before preseaon.

irishbucsfan

Former Former wrote: »

Surely it's implied that the NH club seasons will shift too?

Like, you can't have the players with a month off after the club season before the July tours and then with a two-week break before preseaon.

I think it's implied that the Unions want the club seasons to shift. I'm not aware of the clubs having agreed to it.

Zzippy

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I think it's implied that the Unions want the club seasons to shift. I'm not aware of the clubs having agreed to it.

Were the clubs not party to the discussions, and by inference, if an agreement has been announced, they are hopefully party to the agreement?

Kevski

Just thinking of the impact on Irish teams - if IRFU were to continue to manage players as they did this year with approx 10 week break for international players after the Summer Tour, you'd be looking at the provinces not having a full complement of players until the first round of Champions Cup games. And then they would be back in camp for the autumn internationals two weeks later.

Doesn't really seem like an ideal situation.

Neil3030

Not sure exactly what this will mean for the Super Rugby finals, Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup, but we'll probably end up with something like this:



I'd imagine all roads will lead to the Pro12 starting at the beginning of October.

Buer

I imagined that the Super Rugby season being uninterrupted means that it is completed entirely by July including the finals.

They'd need to find another couple of weekends though, most likely starting earlier in February. Can't see them going off on a month long hiatus to only return for a quarter final straight away.

irishbucsfan

Zzippy wrote: »

Were the clubs not party to the discussions, and by inference, if an agreement has been announced, they are hopefully party to the agreement?

Yes they were present at discussions, but that won't stop them having complaints about it if they want/need to.

For example, why would you accept this if you could refuse to accept it and instead get something in return from your Union for accepting it...

Neil3030

Buer wrote: »

I imagined that the Super Rugby season being uninterrupted means that it is completed entirely by July including the finals.

They'd need to find another couple of weekends though, most likely starting earlier in February. Can't see them going off on a month long hiatus to only return for a quarter final straight away.

But then what - a three week break before the RC? Or an additional 3 weeks before the EOYT? Id imagine they'll take a week off after the summer series and then play the finals.

Tomtom364

Assuming the leagues in the NH move to start a month later.

What would it mean for European games?

Rounds 1&2 in December.
Rounds 3&4 in January.
Rounds 5&6 in April.
Quarters end of May.
Semi and final in June?

Zzippy

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Yes they were present at discussions, but that won't stop them having complaints about it if they want/need to.

For example, why would you accept this if you could refuse to accept it and instead get something in return from your Union for accepting it...

Hark! Is this really IBF, Defender of the PRL and Lord Protector of EPCR, Honorary Knight of the Realm of Mark McCafferty I hear speaking these falsehoods?

Forsooth, not a club among them hath aught but the beauty and good of the sport within their wholesome hearts, and he who speaketh ill of their pure motives shall be banished from their yuletide card list!

Buer

Neil3030 wrote: »

But then what - a three week break before the RC? Or an additional 3 weeks before the EOYT? Id imagine they'll take a week off after the summer series and then play the finals.

I'd say the SANZAR unions would love their players getting a 3 week break and bring them into camp early for the RC.

As I mentioned earlier, it essentially splits the SANZAR seasons into domestic for the first 6 months and international for the second 6 months. But there was always going to have to be some sort of major amendment for this to work.

Neil3030

Tomtom364 wrote: »

Assuming the leagues in the NH move to start a month later.

What would it mean for European games?

Rounds 1&2 in December.
Rounds 3&4 in January.
Rounds 5&6 in April.
Quarters end of May.
Semi and final in June?

Hadn't even considered the ERCC. That would mean getting all three major European leagues on board with a fairly common league schedule. Oh god this is going to be painful....

Neil3030

Buer wrote: »

I'd say the SANZAR unions would love their players getting a 3 week break and bring them into camp early for the RC.

As I mentioned earlier, it essentially splits the SANZAR seasons into domestic for the first 6 months and international for the second 6 months. But there was always going to have to be some sort of major amendment for this to work.

Yeah, so far I can't see much positive in these changes for the NH. I'm also noticing that if the Prem/Top14/Pro12 all move to start at the beginning of October (I know, I know, them all agreeing on something, lol) but that would mean that the Rugby Championship is the only major rugby tournament, either domestic or international, during the months of August and September. That can't hurt viewership.

irishbucsfan

Zzippy wrote: »

Hark! Is this really IBF, Defender of the PRL and Lord Protector of EPCR, Honorary Knight of the Realm of Mark McCafferty I hear speaking these falsehoods?

Forsooth, not a club among them hath aught but the beauty and good of the sport within their wholesome hearts, and he who speaketh ill of their pure motives shall be banished from their yuletide card list!

I've moved back to Ireland now. I don't have to pretend to like McCafferty any more

swiwi_

World Rugby Announces Historic Agreement On Long-Term Calendar Harmony

Great at last to see everyone singing in the same key...

golfer555

The chairman of World Rugby said in a video he hopes Prem/Top14/Pro12 move their club seasons to the end of September/beginning of October, which they will do. Therefore there will be no gap in June like the above diagram.

The IRFU would welcome this, the clubs seasons would start after the All Ireland finals.

The most disappointing news is saying the six nations teams will hold 6 tier two fixtures every November. There doing is already, so very disappointing outcome.

The Lost Sheep

golfer555 wrote:

The most disappointing news is saying the six nations teams will hold 6 tier two fixtures every November. There doing is already, so very disappointing outcome.

some of them don't do it every year so saying they will definitely do it is a good thing.

Zzippy

golfer555 wrote: »

The chairman of World Rugby said in a video he hopes Prem/Top14/Pro12 move their club seasons to the end of September/beginning of October, which they will do. Therefore there will be no gap in June like the above diagram.

The IRFU would welcome this, the clubs seasons would start after the All Ireland finals.

The most disappointing news is saying the six nations teams will hold 6 tier two fixtures every November. There doing is already, so very disappointing outcome.

The All Ireland finals are moving to August anyway, so wouldn't have any impact regardless of change