Major Six Nations changes planned as night matches and new TV channel on table
The Six Nations is set to undergo a major revamp next season with the tournament likely to look very different from years gone by.
We are a week away from this year's competition getting underway as Wales travel to Paris to face France in the championship's curtain-raiser. That match will feature some new laws never seen at the Six Nations before, with the trial of 20-minute red cards being continued into the tournament having also been in place over the autumn.
This year's championship will also see scrum-halves being given more protection at the base of rucks, mauls and scrums, while throws that aren't straight at uncontested lineouts will not be penalised. As was the case in the autumn, players will have reduced time in taking conversions and forming scrums and lineouts, while referees will continue to broadcast key decisions to fans in the stadium.
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However, it is next year when we are likely to see major changes to the structure of the Six Nations itself, with tournament bosses prepared to adapt to broadcasters' preferences.
The current broadcast deal, in which BBC and ITV share the coverage between them, will end this year and there is a very real possibility that the tournament could move away from free-to-air TV from 2026.
Unlike events like Wimbledon or the football World Cups, the Six Nations is not listed as a Category A event which ensures coverage must be broadcast on free-to-air TV.
The six unions are continuing their discussions with broadcasters, with the BBC reporting that "all options are being explored". On the one hand, free-to-air coverage will have a more extensive reach than subscription channels, but in terms of revenue they can offer, those partners are thought to be unlikely to be able to compete.
In terms of what this will mean for the tournament of itself, a revamped fixture schedule featuring more evening kick-offs is being considered. Such a move could help free-to-air broadcasters to get more 'prime time' fixtures when they pitch for the contract.
Another proposed scheduling change would see a Super Saturday take place every weekend, rather than just on the final weekend of the tournament. Currently, two matches take place every Saturday, with the other held either on the Sunday or the Friday evening, but this move would see all three moved to the Saturday.
It is believed that such a change would be welcomed by both broadcasters and fans, with the three least-watched games at last year's championship all taking place on Sunday.
But it is not just broadcast deals that will have an effect on the tournament from next year, with the introduction of the Rugby Nations Championship set to overhaul the international rugby calendar. As far as the Six Nations is concerned, it will be cut from seven weeks to six, with teams given just one rest week rather than two.
While it has not yet been confirmed exactly how this will look in practice, it is likely to mean that each nation will play a block of three of games at the start of the competition, before being given a rest week. The tournament would then conclude on back-to-back weekends in March.
