The much talked about "global season" seems to be only a distant dream that was used by World Rugby president Bill Beaumont to get re-elected earlier this year. A solution needs to be brokered before the June 30 deadline, when a vote will take place on the matter.
World Rugby favour a model based around two international windows, one in March-April for the Six Nations and Rugby Championship, the other in October-November for inter-hemisphere tours. That would mean the global club/provincial season starting in the New Year and finishing in August.
The English and French clubs see this as an agenda driven by the southern hemisphere with their main objection being the axing of the December matches. Other objections are if professional rugby moves to the summer, European rugby will see a split between the seasons of professional rugby and that of the community clubs and schools.
Top 14 president Paul Goze declared this change as non-negotiable while the majority of the English Premiership clubs are understood to agree with the French Top 14 clubs.
A leading Premiership figure told The Rugby Paper: “We don’t mind moving the season back a few weeks into July to help everyone out but we do mind closing for business throughout December. The run-up to Christmas and New Year is something we look forward to. The supporters love it so why when times are tougher than they’ve ever been, would we make it all the tougher? It doesn’t make any sense.’’