England want to shake up the Six Nations and sit out the opening weekend

What is wrong with this. If it ain't broke, don't fix it is my view, but what do others think, it looks as though England want to sit out the first weekend of the 6N, and play their final game a week later. What is being gained by this ?

Anyway, TAKEN FROM WOL.

The plan would see England and France sit out the opening weekend of the Six Nations

England rugby chiefs are considering proposals for a radical shake-up of the Six Nations that would see the 2017 champions and France play their first game a week after Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Italy according to newspaper reports.

Since the Five Nations became Six in 2000, all countries have played on the first weekend of the season and the current format sees the tournament played over seven weeks with two breaks for rest and recuperation.

England have been pressing for the competition to be played over six weeks though Welsh Rugby Union chairman Gareth Davies, in April, voiced his opposition to any changes arguing the proposal would adversely affect the nations with smaller playing resources.

It's thought Scotland, Ireland and Italy share similar views.

However, the RFU is considering a proposal from the Aviva Premiership clubs that, from 2020, England and France should skip the first round of matches.

It would mean the other four nations playing on the opening weekend, all six countries would play in the second weekend and the England v France fixture would stand alone in the third weekend, when there are usually no games.

If the Celtic nations refuse the changes then the RFU are considering taking the 2017 champions onto a different tournament schedule alongside France.

The proposal is one of a number of solutions under a consideration by the RFU's Professional Game Board.

The Six Nations chief executive John Feehan is reported to have declined to comment when asked by the Times newspaper if they were considering changing the scheduling of the Championship.

The proposals would make life tougher on England and France having fewer weeks' rest and Les Bleus would have to come on board, with agreements over broadcasting issues needing to be thrashed out.

Here is the link:- http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/england-plan-emerges-shake-up-13646213


I found this statement quite interesting in particular:-



What does this suggest ? Are they going to start a new tournament with France ? Or are they going to join another tournament ?

Anyway, what do you all think ?

It's pretty clear what's being gained by this: England and France would compress their 6N schedule to 6 weekends, freeing up more room in the season for their club competitions.

Meanwhile, the Pro14 nations get to maintain a schedule that works for them. I don't see a huge issue there. If anything, having an additional rest weekend gives the other nations a slight advantage.

Also bear in mind that it comes from WOL, so it needs to be taken with a pinch of salt until confirmed by an actual news source.

Poorfour wrote:It's pretty clear what's being gained by this: England and France would compress their 6N schedule to 6 weekends, freeing up more room in the season for their club competitions.

Isn't this the issue that the players are threatening to strike over though ? Too much rugby ?

I may be missing it but where does it say they will play their final game a weekend later?

I think if france and England want to do this its fair enough. It appears to be league and union working together which is what everyone surely wants to see.

In saying this, at least we would have a game to watch on the "free weekend". I wonder if the PLR or PRL or whatever they call themselves these days will be OK with this ? When we are in an age where player welfare is bandied about more often than not.

LordDowlais wrote:

Poorfour wrote:It's pretty clear what's being gained by this: England and France would compress their 6N schedule to 6 weekends, freeing up more room in the season for their club competitions.

Isn't this the issue that the players are threatening to strike over though ? Too much rugby ?

It's the opposite - I think the aim by skipping the rest weekend it enables the season as a whole to end earlier. The internationals may lose a week's rest, but all the players, club and international, get a shorter season. It's worth looking at.

You still have the misleading or incorrect statement in your post.

Poorfour wrote:It's the opposite - I think the aim by skipping the rest weekend it enables the season as a whole to end earlier. The internationals may lose a week's rest, but all the players, club and international, get a shorter season. It's worth looking at.

Ah, thanks for the insight, I did not know it was the length of the season that was the bone of contention. So I would have thought that the players and the PRL would be all for this if it means getting the season done a week earlier ?

Have you read the article at all ld? The proposal it states is from the aviva clubs. And there is no mention of playing the final match a weekend later.

It would mean England v France has to be the second game in the schedule for both countries every year, could that cause any issues?

Not quite sure what this bit means

If the Celtic nations refuse the changes then the RFU are considering taking the 2017 champions onto a different tournament schedule alongside France

.

Smells a bit like WOL stirring that particular quote, no quotes or plans even mentioned, just a hint that the RFU will do what they like if the Celtic countries refuse.

Which is all the WOL target demographic need to get their panties in a twist

It was also covered in the Times (but paywalled). No mention of what it means for the wider season, but given the difficulty of fitting everything in to the season I am pretty sure it's about trying to create more space in the schedule

I would say it's so unlikely to happen it's not worth discussing.

I'd love to see it happen. Condensed to 5 weeks preferably. I really dislike the rest weekends as a fan. I know there's the player welfare issue but people seem to throw that out as a buzzword rather than explain how it impacts the players.

They won't be playing any more minutes for England and the EPS will still be looking after rest weeks/number of minutes played.

Why don't they sit out the entire thing and we just give them the 2nd place every year. Perfect

Gwlad wrote:Why don't they sit out the entire thing and we just give them the 2nd place every year. Perfect

Most titles in the 6 Nations, most titles in the 5 Nations

2 wins on the trot. Not a great day for fact checking.

Went 18 years without a Championship win, no wonder they want out.

you really are clutching at straws lad

Not in the 6 nations we didn't.

Is Dylan banned again, is that why Eddie needs the extra few weeks?

Na he just thought he'd give Wales a chance of being above England in the table for a week, the Welsh fans do get so giddy at the thought.

Its jolly good of Eddie to take the positivity of an entire nation into account. Only the sheep may object to the celebrations

Yeah thought so...when does Dylan's ban end.

The clubs' response was to raise the idea of England and France missing the first weekend of the Six Nations and playing each other in week three, which is normally as fallow weekend, to allow the championship to still be reduced to six weeks for the England and French leagues.

The proposal is understood to have been raised “informally” by Bath owner Bruce Craig at a recent Professional Game Board meeting, but one leading source said on Wednesday it was already “dead in the water.”

“The clubs are desperate to ensure that the Six Nations does not overlap Premiership matches, but the unions and more importantly, the players do not want it,” said one source close to the negotiations.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2017/09/20/talk-rugby-rfu-dismiss-idea-england-france-playing-shortened/

Ah. Well that's that then

More glorious reporting from Wales Online

So what are we saying? Bruce Craig speaks for all English rugby?

lostinwales wrote:So what are we saying? Bruce Craig speaks for all English rugby?

There's probably no tournament in professional sport where two teams are on a different schedule to others. It's not going to happen.

BamBam wrote:Ah. Well that's that then

More glorious reporting from Wales Online

a large proportion of your posts have something negative in them about Wales....why is that? Did a sheep turn you down?

Just Wales Online in this case. Unless the report came from elsewhere I think that is a fair statement

BamBam wrote:Just Wales Online in this case. Unless the report came from elsewhere I think that is a fair statement

well sorry to burst your bubble but if you think Walesonline leads on news stories - clealry - then you obviously don't know it very well

Please don't criticise WOL. It's an important rag to some.