PARIS--Rugby Sevens' growing popularity and competitiveness ahead of its return to the Olympic programme next year has led to a rethinking of XV's role in the game, World Rugby president Bernard Lapasset told AFP.
The 67-year-old Frenchman, speaking on Tuesday ahead of a lucrative sponsorship announcement of both the men's and for the first time the women's sevens series, said there was a need for a new system for the XV's version of the sport.
"We need to open up a new system for the XV discipline," he said.
"To bring the northern and southern hemisphere programmes closer together.
"I opened up the debate at the Executive Committee meeting in Dublin earlier this year. At the moment one has the Six Nations which is successful and the Four Nations (southern hemisphere international competition) which is less so.
"We have to look at the possibility of getting a new model of competitions, to grow profitability and to make it as attractive as possible to broadcasters.
"What is the best format, the quality of the competitions, the safety of the players. It is great to create opportunities and to aid the development of rugby.
"The Rugby World Cup is the third largest sports event in the world, after the Olympics and the football World Cup, which is huge for us. However, we must maintain our level."
He believes despite there being a repetitiveness about the teams that reach the knockout stages of the World Cup -- Argentina reaching the 2007 semi-finals being the exception to the rule -- there are teams who are showing signs they are capable of competing with the established powers.
"I think that XV's is more open, professionalism has opened it up," he said.
"The Fijians, Samoans and Georgians are playing more and more in the northern hemisphere club competitions especially in France.
AFP
