Div 1 for teams 1-10, Div 2 for teams 11 to 20 and so on.

as for how the Int.Window would work? no idea.

Seems unlikely the Nth hemisphere Clubs are going to accept wholesale changes so should we be looking outside the square.

Can Sth Hem teams move their spring tours to May/June to give a 6-week block where all nations players would be available – would give Euro comps 3-extra weeks in Nov to continue their season BUT would cut into Super Rugby.

I don’t know – any suggestions?

All of these games would usually include the best possilbe players except the NH tours south (due to NH Club releases and the Samoan game (due to European club releases, through poor SH planning).

All this World Series would do is to make a couple of game more meaningful, plus add a whole lot more money and a new cup. Is this really the best way to get around the cluttered NH season?

What really should be done is to ensure there are strictly defined international windows whereby all International players are free from club duty at least 10 days prior to match day. Players still want to paly for their country and fans still want to watch International Rugby above domestic games, but the overlap of NH Club vs Country is the real issue.

And I don’t think this addresses the problem at all. The poorest nations (who would benefit the most from the prize money) Scotland, Argentina and Italy will still struggle to have proper access to their NH stars, just as Scotland are complaining about at the moment.

On the contrary, wealthy nations like England, who can afford to buy access to their players, will be the ones with the best shot at making the final and earning the cash that goes with it.

Something just doesn’t seem right about that?!

We have the northern hemisphere 6 Nations, 1st & 2nd divisions (also 3rd, I think) & the southern hemisphere 3 Nations, to which Argentina ought to be added. Then there’s the Pacific rim comp involving Japan, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, NZ B & Australia B. USA & Canada ought to be added to that.

You could consider an Asia top 4 of Japan, Korea, China & one other. Also, an African conference of 6-8 nations, minus South Africa, or perhaps involving an SA B team.

Then of course, there’s my mid-World Cups mini-WC style tournament format. Regrettably, traditional tours, with the probable exception of the Lions, might be a thing of the past. the calender is simply becoming too cluttered.

On the flip side, while it helps the top 10 rugby nations get stronger, it doesn’t do anything for lower tiered nations. Okay, have the top 10, & from the revenue gleaned from that, have a 16 team mid-World Cup comp for teams ranked 11-26.

Play this tournament in 2009, 2013, 2017, etc. Use a World Cup style format of 4 pools x 4 teams, with top 2 progressing to quarters, semis & final.

This would provide competition for those nations under World Cup like conditions. I would be surprised if it didn’t help those countries ranked 11-26.

Let’s look at who might compete – Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Japan, USA, Canada, Uruguay, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Georgia, Russia, Netherlands, Czech Rep, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Namibia, China, Korea. That’s 20 teams already.

This issue will pit IRB and national unions vs powerful NH clubs. Currently it’s my bias that the clubs are earning too much of the $$$, which is skewing the competitiveness of international sides. This is acting in a number of ways – NZ losing top quality players to clubs in north with big cheque books, NH sides development affected by influx of overseas pros, Argentina can’t get a start in regular international competitions, crappy midyear tours south, etc. This affects the quality of the international product and reduces it’s relative appeal.

In the end I think it comes down to the IRB needing to fight back against the tide – they’re losing the battle for the high ground. The IRB need to increase revenue/attractiveness of their product (internationals) if they are going to maintain control. Compare the situation in cricket with fluffy competitions now holding sway. Internationals remain the pinnacle in the rugby world, but this will not continue unless the balance is redressed. Currently, we’re looking at a downward spiral if change doesn’t come.