Rugby union's growth is being stunted by its lack of a unified global calendar, according to former Springboks wing Bryan Habana. Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, Habana highlighted the misalignment of the northern and southern hemisphere seasons as a major barrier to the sport's development.
Currently, the rugby calendar is split with the northern hemisphere playing from August to July and the southern hemisphere from February to November. This split causes significant challenges, especially with the Rugby Championship and Six Nations tournaments operating at different times. "To survive as a business, the legacy infrastructure of rugby needs to think differently," Habana argued.
"Rugby is the only global sport where the global calendar doesn’t start and stop at the same time."
Habana suggested that realigning the international windows could help. By switching the July Tests to the north and the November internationals to the south, it could create a more fan-friendly experience and simplify the sport for new audiences. "Can you imagine watching rugby in June in the northern hemisphere? Sunshine, the opportunity on a concourse around the stadium, the kids loving it," he said, painting a picture of a more engaging rugby environment.
The conversation around a global calendar has been ongoing, with World Rugby attempting to make changes. However, proposals such as moving the Rugby Championship to align closer with the Six Nations have been rejected. Habana believes that without synchronization, it’s impossible to create a consistent international playing window, which exacerbates the problem of having international players competing at different times throughout the year.
Furthermore, Habana touched on the challenges and potential of disrupting the traditional rugby setup, similar to what other sports have experienced. He cited the example of LIV Golf and its impact on golf, suggesting that rugby could benefit from similar innovative approaches. "R360 wants to come in and do things differently, they want to positively disrupt for the right reasons," he noted, though he also acknowledged the complexity of fitting new competitions into an already crowded calendar.
As rugby continues to evolve, the call for a unified global calendar grows louder, with stakeholders across the sport recognizing the need for change to maintain rugby's global appeal and competitive balance.
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Rugby union's growth is being stunted by its lack of a unified global calendar, according to former Springboks wing Bryan Habana. Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, Habana highlighted the misalignment of the northern and southern hemisphere seasons as a major barrier to the sport's development.
Currently, the rugby calendar is split with the northern hemisphere playing from August to July and the southern hemisphere from February to November. This split causes significant challenges, especially with the Rugby Championship and Six Nations tournaments operating at different times. "To survive as a business, the legacy infrastructure of rugby needs to think differently," Habana argued.
"Rugby is the only global sport where the global calendar doesn’t start and stop at the same time."
Habana suggested that realigning the international windows could help. By switching the July Tests to the north and the November internationals to the south, it could create a more fan-friendly experience and simplify the sport for new audiences. "Can you imagine watching rugby in June in the northern hemisphere? Sunshine, the opportunity on a concourse around the stadium, the kids loving it," he said, painting a picture of a more engaging rugby environment.
The conversation around a global calendar has been ongoing, with World Rugby attempting to make changes. However, proposals such as moving the Rugby Championship to align closer with the Six Nations have been rejected. Habana believes that without synchronization, it’s impossible to create a consistent international playing window, which exacerbates the problem of having international players competing at different times throughout the year.
Furthermore, Habana touched on the challenges and potential of disrupting the traditional rugby setup, similar to what other sports have experienced. He cited the example of LIV Golf and its impact on golf, suggesting that rugby could benefit from similar innovative approaches. "R360 wants to come in and do things differently, they want to positively disrupt for the right reasons," he noted, though he also acknowledged the complexity of fitting new competitions into an already crowded calendar.
As rugby continues to evolve, the call for a unified global calendar grows louder, with stakeholders across the sport recognizing the need for change to maintain rugby's global appeal and competitive balance.