Don’t let our sport move to summer

RUGBY MATTERS

NOT for the first time I offer a heartfelt warning against those who continue to argue for a switch to summer rugby in this part of the world which, among other things, would theoretically help promote a global season. It's not that you can't play rugby in this summer, of course you can and particularly when you get a cool damp summer like the one we are currently suffering. No, it's just that the elite game would disappear from our consciousness and get lost in an avalanche of world class sport.

In the last month or so, in no particular order, we have had Royal Ascot, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, two weeks of Wimbledon – why isn't it Royal Wimbledon by the way? – The Tour de France and Mark Cavendish breaking the record for number of career stages won; the conclusion of the T20 World Cup, England Test cricket against West Indies and the departure of Jimmy Anderson, a month packed 24/7 with football action from Euro 24 and the Open Golf in Troon to name just a few headline grabbing events. And now we are on the eve of the Paris Olympics.

With all due respect to our great game – save for an exceptional Lions series – there is little chance of getting any significant media coverage and growing the game during the height of summer. Indeed interested parties – sponsors and TV – would get much less bang for their buck and that would be a dangerous avenue to nudge down. We need to go with the flow.

Rugby, to my mind, is a winter game anyway – weather and field conditions should play a part – but that's not the main issue. In an incredibly crowded sporting market, rugby has gradually colonised certain times of the year – October (World Cups) November (autumn internationals), February and March (Six Nations) and a late season splurge at the end of May early June for domestic and European finals. That's a very decent slice of the cake and we should be content with that. Change and we will be dining on crumbs.