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Rugby Europe is to officially request a Six Nations barrage play-off. The governing body of Europe will file an official request on Thursday, March 09 by chairman Octavian Morariu. The requested play-off will enable the creation of a path for emerging nations to play in the Six Nations.
Currently Italy is 14th in the world, two places below Georgia. The Central Europeans are in no danger of losing their spot in the competition while the 12th ranked Georgians remain excluded due to a closed door policy.
Italy’s ranking comes in spite of a historic win over South Africa in November. Since then Italy have fallen to Tonga, Wales and Ireland. The two losses in the Six Nations were by big margins. The 33-7 and 63-10 defeats were comparable to the 67-14 and 58-15 results from 2016.
Italy were more competitive against both France and Scotland in 2016, teams they are yet to face this year. Before doing so the Italians will take-on England. In 2016 England won 40-9 in Rome.
The ongoing lack of results has brought into serious question the Six Nations format. A number of online polls from a variety of media outlets in multiple languages have reached the same conclusion. Namely, that Italy does not, at present, have what it takes to compete in the Six Nations.
Such analysis is based on individual opinions. Stacked together they bring into question the declared policy to guarantee the six competitors their tournament places.
Morariu has no power over the Six Nations. Even though he is chairman of Rugby Europe, the entity is entirely separate from the Six Nations. Rugby Europe is simply continental Europe’s governing institution. The Six Nations is a business, with vested interests in protecting existing members.
Georgia is joined by Belgium, Germany, Russia, Romania and Spain in the 2017-2018 European Nations Cup. Belgium replaced Portugal this year with Os Lobos relegated at their expense. Portugal did not play Belgium in a barrage play-off, yet Rugby Europe is to propose this method to bridge the European Nations Cup champion and the Six Nations wooden spooner.
Morariu said that such a change would not be put into use until four or five years time. He named Georgia as the most likely side to earn promotion and responded to queries over the abilities of others. Moscow’s five hour flight from Dublin or Edinburgh should not factor-in, but a stadium with a heated playing surface would be mandatory.
Central to making it work would be a business plan requiring the management of hotel infrastructure and the number of flights, concluded Morariu.
Georgia’s dream of taking the step up could therefore be realized. With an increasingly prosperous under 20 system the country arguably has a clear path to sustainable development. Mid-year matches against Argentina, Canada and the USA are to add to Georgia’s rising global status. In June 2016 Georgia went undefeated in the Pacific Islands.
The Americas is also of interest to Rugby Europe in structural terms. The Americas Rugby Championship is to open to the possibility of promotion. It has previously been confirmed that a second division will be established in the coming years. The winner would either play a barrage play-off or directly replace the bottom side. Paraguay, Colombia, Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico, Guyana and the Cayman Islands are ranked 7th-12th in the Americas at present.
