World Rugby chairman: Six Nations should open for Georgia, Romania
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Georgia and Romania should be given a chance to play in a revamped Six Nations competition, says chairman of World Rugby - the international governing body for the sport.
Talking to French media, outgoing World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset said he wanted promotion and relegation to be introduced in the tournament, which would give the Lelos and the Oaks an opportunity to play with tier one nations.
"We need to change the format of the Six Nations championship," Lapasset told Le Figaro.
"This competition should open, either direct [promotion] or via a play-off."
A play-off would be between the team that finished bottom of the Six Nations and the winner of the second-tier European Nations Cup, which Georgia won this year for the sixth consecutive time.
Lapasset’s suggestion was supported by Romania's coach, Welshman Lynn Howells, BBC reported.
"I think he's correct," said Howells, who was caretaker coach of Wales in 2001.
"Ninety percent of the implications that everybody is concerned about are finances. I think a play-off is probably the fair way to start it."
The Six Nations was established in 2000 when the Five Nations was expanded to include Italy.
Georgia has voiced multiple times that it was time for the Six Nations to open up and let the Lelos in, as the team had progressed immensely in recent years and needed tougher competition.
Last month Georgia's national rugby team made history when it was promoted up the world ranking list to 12th best in the world. This was the highest world ranking Georgia has ever occupied.
This promotion also saw Georgia now rank ahead of Six Nation’s team Italy (14th) and the team’s main European opponent Romania (16th).
Meanwhile Lapasset believed the change was important to "give hopes for these teams [Georgia and Romania]".
In an attempt to ensure Georgia and Romania get the opportunity to face tier-one nations, the Lelos will meet Japan (10th) and Scotland (9th) in test matches in November 2016 while the Oaks will face Italy in 2018.
Georgia's national rugby team are the 2016 European Nations Cup champions. The team defeated Romania 38:9 at Tbilisi’s Dinamo Arena today. The Lelos scored six tries and won the trophy, for the ninth time.
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Georgia's national rugby team is taking advantage of a new calendar of test games that allows the Lelos to play against high-level opponents.
Georgia’s rugby team makes history with new world ranking
Georgia's national rugby team is making history.
Georgia has improved its world rating and is now the 13th best rugby nation in the world and above Italy who plays in the prestigious Six Nations.
Georgia's junior national rugby team will have the opportunity to face leading Six Nations teams starting next year, following an initiative by organisers of the prestigious tournament to invite the Junior Lelos for a new competition.
World Rugby, the international governing body of the game, has released the first episode of Georgia: Rugby's Next Superpower, a documentary series tracing the nation's "meteoric" rise to prominence on the international rugby stage.
Nick Mallett, the former coach for South African and Italian national rugby teams, has criticised the latest rejection of chances for Georgia to enter the Six Nations tournament and declared there should be a discussion about letting the Lelos have more chances to compete against top-tier teams in Europe.