The Pacific Islands’ teams would not be “closed out” of World Rugby’s proposed “Nations League” as some have suggested, World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper said yesterday.
The Australian said that their inclusion in the top division of the two-tier competition — along the lines of soccer’s UEFA Nations League — would be decided on rankings based on merit alone.
There has been a furious reaction to the report in the New Zealand Herald on Thursday that the Pacific Islands would have no representatives among the 12 teams in the top tier with Fiji having been replaced by the US, and that there would be no promotion or relegation for 10 seasons.
A boycott of the World Cup was mooted by the Pacific Rugby Players Welfare on Friday to include even those of Pacific Island origin playing in other teams.
However, Gosper was adamant that fears about being excluded were groundless.
“The two-division competition would provide more player opportunities and ensure financial stability for unions,” Gosper said in an interview by telephone. “Importantly, participation would be merit-based, based on rankings at an agreed time.”
“Therefore, there is no question of closing out the Pacific Islands, as we would be adding two more emerging unions to the top table whilst financing a second tier competition with all the benefits that would bring to the players,” he added.
It is understood that the idea of ring-fencing the membership for at least 10 years is being pushed by the northern hemisphere powerhouses who make up the Six Nations.
Gosper would not comment on that, but did address a claim by Ireland’s world player of the year Johnny Sexton that commercial interests were being placed ahead of players’ concerns.
“This is a rapidly evolving, on-going conversation with all stakeholders and some of the concerns voiced were inaccurate and out of date,” Gosper said. “For instance, there was talk of playing five weeks in a row in November, but earlier this week we were talking about a fallow period when 10 of the 12 teams would stop playing.”
The Test workload for players could be less than is the case now, Gosper said.
“In terms of the impact on players, at the moment, Test teams play an average of 12 games a year. This format would have them playing 11 matches a year and only extra matches if they reach the semi-finals and the final,” he said.
Gosper insisted that the World Cup would not suffer, even though New Zealand’s 2011 World Cup-winning coach Graham Henry said that the league would kill off interest in the main event.
“Analysis confirms a more competitive international game, and therefore Rugby World Cup would heighten the possibility of expanding the tournament to 24 teams,” Gosper said.
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