By Robbie Butler
It is easy to forgot that the 2020 Six Nations is still on-going. The tournament, which started on the 1st of February 2020 has 4 remaining games. The first, Ireland versus Italy, will be held on the 24th of October. This will followed by the final round of fixture on the 31st of October, involving all 6 nations.
The postponement of Ireland and Italy in Dublin was the first high profile sporting causality of Covid-19 on these islands. As the months have past some competitions around Europe have been cancelled, some postponed, and others successfully played behind closed doors. In some instances, completing the competition was essential for the season that will follow. Crowning a champion is important, but probably not as critical as promotion and relegation. Completing the Premier League was therefore much more important than the Champions League (Bayern Munich fans will obviously disagree).
This is what makes the continuation of the Six Nations interesting. There is no relegation or promotion. It is not dissimilar to major US sports where entry is closely guarded and collective action of "owners" is viewed as very much positive for the sport as a whole. While promotion and relegation are sometimes mentioned in the context of the Six Nations, it is extremely unlikely this will ever happen. The same way it will never happen in the US. Crowning a champion and fulfilling the broadcasting agreements are probably what is driving the need to finish the competition.
The return of live international rugby is very much welcome. Let us hope that a return to more normal times at the Aviva, Stade de France, Twickenham, etc. is not too far away.
It is easy to forgot that the 2020 Six Nations is still on-going. The tournament, which started on the 1st of February 2020 has 4 remaining games. The first, Ireland versus Italy, will be held on the 24th of October. This will followed by the final round of fixture on the 31st of October, involving all 6 nations.
The postponement of Ireland and Italy in Dublin was the first high profile sporting causality of Covid-19 on these islands. As the months have past some competitions around Europe have been cancelled, some postponed, and others successfully played behind closed doors. In some instances, completing the competition was essential for the season that will follow. Crowning a champion is important, but probably not as critical as promotion and relegation. Completing the Premier League was therefore much more important than the Champions League (Bayern Munich fans will obviously disagree).
This is what makes the continuation of the Six Nations interesting. There is no relegation or promotion. It is not dissimilar to major US sports where entry is closely guarded and collective action of "owners" is viewed as very much positive for the sport as a whole. While promotion and relegation are sometimes mentioned in the context of the Six Nations, it is extremely unlikely this will ever happen. The same way it will never happen in the US. Crowning a champion and fulfilling the broadcasting agreements are probably what is driving the need to finish the competition.
The return of live international rugby is very much welcome. Let us hope that a return to more normal times at the Aviva, Stade de France, Twickenham, etc. is not too far away.
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