Maro Itoje makes England vow amid rebel league reports
The lure of money – with 40 contracts reportedly worth £1m a season being offered to big-name players – and a longer break will lure big-name players, the report said.
The Premier League currently has 18 rounds of regular season, and the player schedule also includes playoffs, playoffs and European games. The top 14 in France are more demanding, with each team having 26 regular season games.
While the new global championship will be held outside the international window, each country’s different selection policies will affect whether participants can play Test rugby.
Five players from South Africa’s starting XI for Saturday’s win over England will travel to Japan to play club rugby, with coach Rassie Erasmus free to select players from around the world.
However, New Zealand and Ireland, like England, only select players who play in their home leagues, meaning any players joining the Rebels League are ineligible under current policy.
Wales and Australia have less stringent restrictions on overseas players entering their national teams.
