IRB look to ease pressure on players

The rulers of world rugby are exploring ways to restructure the fixture list to cut the physical demands on top players – but there will be no quick solution.

The International Rugby Board are pursuing a proposal from England’s Rugby Football Union to appoint an independent consultant to take an objective look at the global season.

Earlier this week the Professional Rugby Players’ Association called for a reduction in the stress placed on players by the virtual year-round programme of club and international fixtures.

Francis Baron, the English RFU chief executive, responded: “The IRB are moving forward to try and produce the concept of a global season. You would then start to eliminate some of the bad sides of the structure in our game and in the Southern Hemisphere.

“We have a duty of care to the players. We want their careers to be prolonged, not shortened. We want the top players not only to be playing for England but also to be playing for their clubs in the big competitions like the Heineken Cup.”

But he warned: “You are talking years, not something that will happen next year.”