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Rob Nicol slams 'disrespectful' World Rugby over proposed Global League - 'Flawed on so many levels'

March 1, 2019

Nichol said the competition isn't in the best interest of international rugby.

New Zealand Rugby Players Association boss Rob Nichol is the latest to challenge World Rugby over their proposed global competition.

Nichol, who is also a board member of the international players' group that has already condemned the formation of a global league , said it was an embarrassment knowing the international governing body had discussed this as their next step for the sport.

"The dismissive attitude and disrespect that has been shown - at some stage, it's not about trust, it's not about whether it's confidential, it's about respect," Nichols told 1 NEWS.

"The players globally said, 'you know what? It's about time you started you respecting us,' so the stake had to go in the ground.

"It's just a real pity people at World Rugby didn't listen."

The new 12-team tournament is reportedly on the cards next year after surfacing yesterday, with Japan and USA set to join the Rugby Championship under the new scheme.

The competition will see all 12 nations play each other once a year, with the four on top of ladder after the matches set to face off in a play-off around November/December.

"The competition format is flawed on so many levels," he said.

"For a start, look at who is in the 12 - if you were to be Japan and USA and you have to play 11 tier one Test matches in year... none of those countries are equipped to play at that level.

"They're going to be on the end of some pretty tough results. What's that going to do to rugby in those markets? Is that how we want to grow rugby in the States and Japan?"

Nichol also had a serious issue with the World League's side effects on tier two nations like Samoa, Fiji and Tonga, who will most likely miss out on taking on top tier nations outside of the World Cup years.

"It's 12 years that you're effectively shut out of top-flight competition. Even if World Rugby put a fantastic competition in below that around those countries, players are going to be going, 'hang on a sec, I've got a livelihood here'.

"They already don't get paid effectively to play for their countries at tier two level so they're going to put their faith in the club structures and they're going to go and play in the Northern Hemisphere and leave those countries.

"That's the feedback we've gotten."

Nichol said the competition isn't in the best interest of international rugby.

"We don't want to be part of a model that basically consigns the Pacific Islands or Romania or Germany or Georgia to the depths of a black hole for 12 years."

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