World Rugby agrees player welfare guidelines limiting number of games
World Rugby's Executive Board has agreed new player workload guidelines for the elite game, the sport's governing body said on Wednesday, and next year's inaugural Nations Championship can now go ahead as planned.
The guidelines - recommended to World Rugby by a project group of experts - state that players should play no more than 30 games in a single season or six consecutive match weeks, and should also have a dedicated five-week off-season break.
Players will also be entitled to minimum rest periods of at least one week when selected for international fixtures, and across a year have 12 weeks of non-contact time, with clearer communication encouraged between club and country.
"These guidelines are the result of much intense negotiation over many years, I'd like to congratulate all involved on achieving this agreement," World Rugby Chairman Brett Robinson said in a statement.
"Our hope, over time, is that unions and competitions reach local agreements to best serve the individual circumstances of players. In the meantime, these guidelines provide a solid backstop."
World Rugby says the guidelines are supported by scientific evidence or in the absence of existing studies, expert opinion and take a precautionary approach to player load in all circumstances.
"Player welfare is at the heart of everything that rugby does," World Rugby said.
"And World Rugby had made agreement of these new guidelines a condition of approval for the new Nations Championship which can now begin in the summer of 2026."
The new biennial 12-team competition, scheduled to take place during the mid-year and end-of-year international windows, will involve all Six Nations countries as well as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina, along with two invited unions.
