CAPE TOWN – With the international rugby season in limbo due to the on-going Covid-19 pandemic, World Rugby on Wednesday brought more clarity to the rest of 2020, recommending dates for a revamped international calendar for this year.
The revamped calendar announced on Wednesday includes the Rugby Championships, Six Nations as well as other internationals.
In a statement, World Rugby said: “temporary windows have been determined following extensive and productive consultation between World Rugby, international competitions, national unions, their professional club competitions and International Rugby Players.”
Six Nations in the northern hemisphere
“Recognising the importance of a balanced and shared compromise among all stakeholders, a temporary international window between 24 October and 5 December has been recommended.
In the north, this window will accommodate the postponed men's and women's Six Nations matches at the end of October, a rest weekend on 7 November and a programme of international matches involving the Six Nations and invited teams hosted in Europe from 14 November through to 5 December.”
In the north, this window will accommodate the postponed men's and women's @SixNationsRugby matches at the end of October, a rest weekend on 7 Nov and a programme of international matches involving the Six Nations and invited teams hosted in Europe from 14 Nov through to 5 Dec
— World Rugby Media (@worldrugbymedia) July 22, 2020
The Rugby Championship in the southern hemisphere
“With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to impact international travel and borders across southern hemisphere unions, on an exceptional basis The Rugby Championship 2020 will be hosted in full in a single country over a reduced six-week period between 7 November and 12 December.
Special measures will be implemented to deal with any government-required quarantine period prior to the start of the competition.”
The rescheduling of the domestic, European and international calendars will accommodate the ability for the professional clubs to have access to their star southern hemisphere international players for the completion of the postponed and rescheduled 2019/20 seasons at a time in which they would have ordinarily been on international duty in August and September.
With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to impact international travel and borders across southern hemisphere unions, on an exceptional basis The Rugby Championship 2020 will be hosted in full in a single country over a reduced six-week period between 7 November and 12 December.
— World Rugby Media (@worldrugbymedia) July 22, 2020
Concluding the announcement, World Rugby said: “The recommendation to temporarily change the Regulation 9 windows will be tabled at a virtual meeting of the World Rugby Council on 30 July. Subject to approval, the full schedule of matches will be announced by the respective union and international competition owners in due course.
The current Regulation 9 windows will return to normal after 13 December.”
Rugby Reporter