The Six Nations countries are considering putting back the start of next year’s tournament because of the financial consequences of playing matches either behind closed doors or before small numbers of spectators when the unions are all making cutbacks enforced by the pandemic.
The Rugby Football Union, which will host three matches in the 2021 tournament, says it would lose £60m if fans are locked out. Its Welsh, Irish and Scottish counterparts are also fearful of how they would fund their community games if they went a year without receiving any income through the turnstiles.
“Who knows when the Six Nations will be played [next year],” the Wales head coach, Wayne Pivac, said after announcing his squad of 38 players for the autumn internationals that includes a rearranged 2020 Six Nations match against Scotland in Llanelli.
“There is talk that it could be pushed out slightly, looking at what the virus might be doing.
“Discussions are ongoing and that is smart. Unions are desperate not only for matches to go ahead but to make sure that crowds watch them so we can meet our financial obligations to the game. We have taken quite a pounding in recent months and having no, or small, crowds will not help.”
The 2021 Six Nations is scheduled to start on 6 February with matches in Rome and at Twickenham. The RFU hoped to have crowds back in time for the Eight Nations tournament next month, but the government has delayed a gradual return of spectators to sports grounds in England which was due to start last week. No new date has been set and with the number of positive tests rising by the day it is unlikely to be any time soon.
“Everybody is feeling the financial impact,” said Pivac. “If the dates stay in place we will be playing, crowds or not. Everyone would like to see it back where it was pre‑Covid, full crowds, an atmosphere and financial spin-offs for cities and countries. It is about making the best decision for everybody based on the well-being of the community and the financial position.”
Some Premiership clubs have raised the question of whether the start of the new league season should be pushed back from 20 November with the lack of gate income, and as yet no financial support from the government, threatening to push some of them to the brink of bankruptcy.
“Without support we are in danger of clubs at the heart of communities across England, as well as players and volunteers, disappearing for ever,” the RFU chief executive, Bill Sweeney, said. “If there are no fans for the Six Nations we will see a £138m reduction in revenue with a loss of £60m, preventing investment in areas such as the women’s elite game and community rugby.”
Pivac, whose seven uncapped squad players included the Bristol duo Callum Sheedy and Ioan Lloyd, said there would be no second chance for anyone caught breaching the strict virus protocols at Wales’s training base. “There are examples of a couple of footballers,” he said. “If that sort of thing happened in our environment, they will be released from the squad. It is as simple as that. There is too much at stake.”