Sports

World Rugby defends global league plans

March 7, 2019 1:01 pm

World Rugby powerbrokers have clarified and defended plans to launch a global Nations Championship ahead of key meetings in Dublin next week.

According to radionz, it seems the global body is insisting on promotion/relegation in the ‘World League’ and does not plan to introduce the new model, should it be agreed upon, until 2022.

The sport’s governors defended their plans around player welfare and insisted proposals on the table are for a two-division competition including promotion and relegation.

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The International Rugby Players Council, including All Blacks captain Kieran Read, will also meet again next week to further discuss the proposal.

Read was among many players to voice their opposition to the initial proposal, with concerns about player welfare and the competition’s integrity.