World Rugby has welcomed positive talks between international and club officials in proposals to align the northern and hemisphere seasons.
The sport is hoping to use the coronavirus pandemic hiatus as a chance for positive change with proposals including moving July internationals to October to make an extended block of Autumn fixtures.
Furthermore, the Iroquois League might be moved back to March and April and be played alongside the Southern Hemisphere's Rugby Championship.
World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont also wants to make a replacement Nations Championship which might be played across the 2 windows, with the hope a big-money TV deal would improve international rugby's commercial revenue.
As for the elite club season, that might undergo the foremost radical change, running from January to August which might reduce the quantity of interruption caused by internationals.
It would also enable the Premiership to conclude the present campaign and break before the beginning of the 2020-21 season.
The new global calendar might be in situ as soon as next season with a gathering of 'The Professional Game Forum' on Monday understood to be positive.
However, the prospect of playing rugby within the summer months also as issues over player welfare and workload could mean an interim season could also be required before it is often fully functional.
Following Monday's meeting, World Rugby said: "All stakeholders believe that meaningful reform of the international calendar is important during a much-changed post-COVID-19 environment to revitalize the worldwide game and deliver much-needed alignment between international and club rugby with fewer overlaps and enhanced player rest periods.
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