Scottish Rugby CEO Says Country Will Not Agree To Six-Week Six Nations

Scotland "will fight plans to reduce the Six Nations to a six-week tournament," according to English & Lyall of the BBC. England's Rugby Football Union "hopes to remove one of the two fallow weekends when games are not played, to create space for the new global season." But Scottish Rugby CEO Mark Dodson said that such a move "would be a threat to player safety." Dodson said, "My view is that seven to six weeks is a retrograde step and it's a dangerous step as far as player welfare is concerned." Dodson also insisted that the unions in Ireland, Wales and Italy "share his view." He said, "We're going to look after our boys." RFU CEO Ian Ritchie plans to "lobby for change when the review of the championship takes place in April," suggesting the new format be introduced after the 2019 World Cup. Dodson "also shot down the proposal on the basis of player resources." He added, "Nations with smaller player pools are going to be compromised and hit far harder by a six-week competition" (BBC, 3/31).