Two-tier system & triple-header finals day
To avoid too many one-sided scorelines, BBC Sport’s Sara Orchard, speaking on Rugby Union Weekly, suggested a two-tier system where teams are ranked before the championship.
The idea was backed by former England fly-half Katy Daley-McLean, who lost titles to France and Ireland during her playing days, with the 2014 World Cup-winner saying the tournament must be “brave” in trying something new., external
The Rugby Football Union’s director of women’s game Alex Teasdale told BBC that the RFU would “listen to any proposals”.
“I think Six Nations as a tournament across men’s and women’s is steeped in that kind of background in history and its format is quite special,” she said.
“It would probably take quite a lot to change that. But look, it’s the women’s game and we want to stay agile and do what’s in the best interests of the game.”
The proposed idea would follow a similar format to the 2021 Six Nations, which was spilt into two pools because of Covid restrictions.
Orchard’s idea would see the number one ranked team play home and away fixtures against those ranked second and third, with the second pool – ranked three to six – following the same structure.
Play-offs then follow to determine the final standings, with the top team in pool one facing the second team in their group for the Six Nations title.
The side who finished third in pool one would play against first team in pool two for a place in the following year’s top group, while fifth and sixth see who picks up the Wooden Spoon.
All those games would take place on a triple-header finals day in the same venue that is rotated around a different nation every year.
“Being the women’s version of the Six Nations means you don’t have to do it the same as the men,” former Wales captain Philippa Tuttiett told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I have to agree that the changes make a lot of sense but I don’t like it.
“I like the aspiration, build-up and feeling of just maybe this year