Would it be better for rugby to have one large window for all Test matches around the world (at least among nations in the top two or three tiers)? Say 15 weeks from August to November. Or alternatively from March/April to June/July.
In that period you could play regional Test tournaments (like the Rugby Championship and Six Nations) and have tours between regions or hemispheres.
It would be ideal if the European and Southern Hemisphere domestic seasons were also aligned, but they wouldn’t have to be. Club, provincial or franchise based tournaments could be run whenever suited.
However, with strict rules around player release for Test matches, and a full schedule for all tier one and two nations, there would be an incentive to organise top level club and franchise rugby seasons during the other 37 weeks of the year (keeping in mind an off-season would have to fit in this period as well).
Best case scenario would be a global professional rugby season that looked something like this:
February – July: Domestic seasons involving Test players
August – November: third tier domestic competitions (no Test players)
August: International Tours
September – October: Six Nations, Rugby Championship, other regional tournaments
November: International Tours
December – January: Off-season
If the Europeans insisted on playing during their coldest months they could start their primary domestic competitions during or just after the international window and have their off-season in June/July, with Test matches at the beginning of their season.
The other option would be to have the Test match window from approximately April – July. It’s easy to imagine how the European season could fit around that. But I think SANZAR could as well, for example:
February – March: short selection tournaments for top players (for example, in Australia you could have a short tournament between the super rugby teams. Alternatively you could have a larger Wallabies camp and play probables versus possibles, state of origin or other warm up / selection matches)
April – July: Test season and third tier domestic tournaments (CC, ITM, NRC)
August – November: Super Rugby (and club rugby)
December – January: Off-season
A better global season would help accelerate rugby’s growth and popularity. Test rugby and the top European club leagues would not have to clash and emerging nations would gain better access to their players.
You’d also see better quality matches between hemispheres, especially if the top level domestic seasons could be aligned.
Eddard
Roar Guru
They wouldn't play 15 weeks straight of test matches. Maybe 11 or 12 in that period. That would just be the window. Can't see 15's rugby going that way myself. Would just like to see a greater separation (no overlap of matches) between test rugby and top level club or franchise rugby (i.e. 2nd tier),
english twizz
Guest
the french love the top 14 over every thing else the way it is and money talks and they have billonere owners whos clubs are toys
AdamS
Roar Guru
I'm not sure what the benefits of a global season are?? Test Rugby is a step above club in both meaning and intensity. I struggle to see have a side could play 15 weeks straight of test level rugger. The only meaningful evolution of international rugby I see is the breaking away from club rugby completely, with international rugby and sevens run the same way international cricket does.
chris
Guest
Global season yes but it can not go longer then 32 weeks and have 4 months rest for players and fans alike..think NFL not Soccer.
Eddard
Roar Guru
It would have to benefit them too. I think having access to top players at all times for the main part of their season would be beneficial. Playing at better times of the year would be beneficial to improving the product. I think quality over quantity isn't just a slogan. A globally aligned season could also allow a world club championship which would be valuable. Basically having separate windows for test matches and top level club competitions (involving test players) would benefit everyone. During the test season maybe the European Clubs could play a separate 3rd tier tournament.
Can't see how a global season will ever come to fruition. The European clubs have too much power and I can't see them concern themselves much with anything outside their own goals and agendas
Eddard
Roar Guru
Good points Matt. I suppose the difference with NZ and South Africa is that their domestic competitions are third tier, they don't involve many test players for most of it, and are separate from the domestic(ish) tournament that the test players are involved in (super rugby). I think tournaments lose some integrity when you have rounds that don't involve a big chunk of players. Having one large global test season would give the French and English comps more incentive and easier ability to avoid playing parallel with the test matches. At the moment the only way they could do so would be to pause their competitions for a number of weeks, which is not ideal. Ultimately though you're right, the European domestic season would have to shorten (or change to have different tournaments - one set involving test players, another not involving test players) and/or the test match season would have to shorten. One problem for international rugby right now is that while test players from top European nations are able to gain release, the players from the emerging countries are paid to make themselves unavailable.
Matt
Guest
I've often considered how we could have a global season Eddard, but then playing devil's advocate I also question why it is such a high priority? The problem currently isn't that there is a lack of a global season, it's that there is simply too much volume. If we re-shuffle the deck we've still got the same number of cards. So if we were to move something like the Six Nations, which is a real jewel in the crown, to a different time of year then you'd still run in to the fact that it would clash with domestic games due to the sheer volume of domestic games. France, for example, have 5 games in the Six Nations and at least 3 outbound tests and 3 inbound tests. That's 11 weeks. The Top 14 has a double round robin, plus semis and final. That's 28 weeks. The Heineken Cup has a double round robin, plus quarters, semis and final. That's 7 week's. So their total season, without any byes is 46weeks. All that leave is a 6 week offseason between the last game and first game of next season. Obviously England's Premiership has 2 less teams and is shorter, but then they also insist on running the LV= Cup. So really, the only option is to play some domestic and test games in parallel (as NZ and South Africa currently do) or else shorten some competitions. The difficult question is what do you remove and what you lose as a consequence. I can't imagine many Unions wanting to reduce the number of tests matches, as they make the most money. But likewise the private club owners won't want to lose revenue either. The global season won't resolve self interest unfortunately.
Ben
Guest
I think that a global season would work really well. Especially if you split the world domestic comps into an east west format rather than north south. I'd like to see the SA teams join Heineken cup and he super rugby to have more teams from Argentina, pacific islands and Asia. This would take the exhaustive jet lag out of the equation. There could then be a global finals period with top 4 from east vs top 4 from west.
english twizz
Guest
the french would just pay players more money to quit national teams like they do now