FAIR
PLAY to
World Rugby, after all the leaks and speculationabout the proposed
World League, they wasted little time in getting out an explanation
of their thinking, in advance of next week's Dublin Summit.
The
press release appears to contradict some of the sensationalised
pieces which have been written in the past week – no mention, for
instance of the Pacific Island nations being side-lined in favour of
arguably more commercially-attractive rivals, Japan and the USA.
Indeed, in an accompanying video, World Rugby makes it clear, if the
World League was starting immediately, Fiji would be in. Full details
of the World Rugby press release can be read at:
The
new league's schedule is complicated and is best looked-at over a
four year World Cup cycle. The full schedule operates in the first
post World Cup season, i.e. 2019-20; there is a truncated season,
without promotion and relegation, in the second season, 2020-21 –
to allow for a Lions Tour; another full season in 2021-22 and no
World League in 2022-23, which is a World Cup season.
The
6 Nations and the Rugby Championship will continue to operate as now,
except two nations will be added to the Championship – at the
moment these would be Fiji and Japan, the two highest-ranked southern
hemisphere nations.
The
new northern hemisphere second division would, if operating now
comprise: Georgia, Russia, Spain, Romania, Belgium and Netherlands.
In the southern hemisphere, Division Two would comprise: Tonga, USA,
Uruguay, Samoa, Canada and Namibia.
The
proposed calendar guarantees each nation 11 internationals per
calendar year, for the northern hemisphere sides like Scoland, this
would mean the normal five during the 6 Nations, two, maybe three
games during the summer July international window and three or four
during the Autumn internaitonal window, these would be against the
six First Division nations in the southern hemisphere.
At
the end of these 11 internationals the two leading sides in the two
conferences would play-off in cross-conference semi-finals, with the
two semi-final winners playing off for the overall World League
Champonship. In the video explaining this, this the northern
hemisphere semi-finalists are England and Scotland. England beats
Australia, and Scotland loses to New Zealand, leaving us with an
England v New Zealand Grand Final.
There
will also be promotion and relegation, with the bottom team in
Division One, playing-off against the Division Two winners to decide
which naion goes into the top league in the next season; although
there will be no play-off in a Lions year. Below Division Two, there
will be a third division, run in four-nation groups. This means
emerging nations such as Germany or Brazil would have the chance to
advance into the top tier.
The
whole set-up is rather akin to the new European Nations League in
football, except on a world-wide scale. Of course, there is a lot of
horse-trading and talking to be done, but, I for one, am excite by
the possibilities.
AT
LEAST, there
is a degree of clarity in the World Rugby statement. The other big
row of the moment, around the Welsh Regions, is still at the stage of
being, in Glesca patois - “A stair-heid rammy.”
Wales
Online were on their high horse this morning, pointing-out that since
“Terrible Tuesday,” when the news of the intended
Ospreys/Scarlets merger broke, there had been statements from
everyone except the four regional mascots and the Welsh Rugby Union.
I
hear from one of my spies in the Valleys, a WRU committee man was
even seen out this week without his distinctive blazer, an indication
of how far down the Taffia are keeping their heads.
We
do things differently in Scotland though – up here TCD, Dirty Dom
and and the Gang simply issue directives, and to Hell with anyone who
disagrees. This Welsh story will run and run.
AT
LUNCH TIME today,
Gregor Townsend announced our team to face Wales, at BT Murrayfield
on Saturday, a team which shows four changes from that which lost to
France last time out.
The
return to the colours of Finn Russell and Wilem Nel were hardly
surprises, but, the demotion of skipper Greig Laidlaw to the bench,
with Ali Price starting, was somewhat unexpected, while, Darcy Graham
will make his first 6 Nations start, for the injured Sean Maitland.
The
squad, as ever in 1-23 order is:
Allan
Dell, Stuart McInally [Captain], Wilem Nel, Grant Gilchrist Jonny
Gray, Magnus Bradbury, Jamie Ritchie, Josh Strauss; Ali Price, Finn
Russell; Darcy Graham, Pete Horne, Nick Grigg, Tommy Seymour; Blair
Kinghorn. Susbtitutes:
Gordon Reid,
Fraser Brown, Simon Berghan, Ben Toolis, Hamish Watson, Greig
Laidlaw, Adam Hastings, Byron McGuigan.
Jonny
Gray and Tommy Seymour are set to win their 50th
caps in the game.
The
Doddie Weir Cup, which Wales hold after the inaugural match, back in
the Autumn, is up for grabs on Saturday.
THIS
INTERNATIONAL weekend,
as always, kicks-off with the Under-20 international, at Meggetland,
and the Women's match, at Scotstoun, with both Scottish squads still
seeking their first wins of this year's tournament.
Carl
Hogg, the Under-20 Coach, has made three changes to his squad for the
game, which (again in 1-23 order) is:
Murphy
Walker, Ewan Ashman, Euan McLaren, Ewan Johnson, Cameron Henderson,
Charlie Jupp, Connor Boyle [Captain], Kwagga van Niekerk; Roan
Frostwick, Ross Thompson, Jack Blain, Robbie McCallum, Cameron
Anderson, Rory McMichael; Matt Davidson.
Replacements
: Angus
Fraser, Andrew Nimmo, Will Hurd, Ross Bundy, Jack Mann, Murray Scott,
Nathan Chamberlain, Ollie Smith.
SHADE
MUNRO, the
Women's Coach has also rang the changes for his side's game against
the Welsh, at Scotstoun, tomorrow night. His squad, again in 1-23
order is:
Megan
Kennedy, Lana Skeldon, Mairi Forsyth Emma Wassell, Sarah Bonar,
Rachel Malcolm, Rachel McLachlan, Jade Konkel; Mhairi Grieve, Helen
Nelson; Annabel Sergeant, Lisa Thomson [Captain], Hannah Smith, Rhona
Lloyd; Chloe
Rollie.
Substitutes:
Jodie
Rettie, Lisa Cockburn, Katie Dougan, Nicola Howat, Deborah McCormack,
Jenny Maxwell, Lisa Martin, Abi Evans.
Reassuring re WL.
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