A high-stakes meeting in London during the Six Nations could reshape the rugby calendar.
According to Midi Olympique, World Rugby is preparing what has been described as its first serious attempt in years to align the northern and southern hemisphere seasons.
Central to the discussions is the possibility of shifting the Rugby Championship into the same window as the Six Nations, creating a single, synchronised Test calendar.
The proposal would see the Six Nations start slightly later, allowing Sanzaar nations – South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina – to stage their flagship competition at the same time.
Former World Rugby vice-chairman Agustín Pichot is expected to lead the Sanzaar delegation when talks take place in London in mid-February, with senior figures from the leading Test nations in attendance.
The renewed push follows comments from Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, who called for alignment to end the imbalance between hemispheres.
“It would be fantastic if we can all play the Rugby Championship when the Six Nations is on,” Erasmus said last year. “It would be so much easier to be aligned, instead of some teams peaking while others are flat.”
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While alignment has been discussed for decades, significant obstacles remain. Any shift would require Super Rugby Pacific to move in the calendar, a change complicated by existing broadcast agreements and competition with other major sports in the southern hemisphere.
Despite those challenges, the talks are being framed as a rare window of opportunity. With South African franchises now embedded in the Vodacom URC and European competitions, aligning club and international calendars is seen as more realistic than ever.
ALSO: URC boss calls for global rugby calendar
A synchronised global season could ease player workloads, reduce year-round Test commitments for southern hemisphere stars, and ensure tier-two nations have access to their overseas-based players.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
