Brian O\u2019Driscoll is open to the idea of creating a franchise competition to potentially boost a sport which he reckoned could have faded if the 2019 Rugby World Cup had not gone ahead as planned.<\/b><\/p>\n
Late last year, it was revealed that a new global league had been proposed and was in the early stages of its development.<\/p>\n
A competition featuring eight franchises and more than 200 players, who would travel the world, was suggested.<\/p>\n
Comparisons to Formula 1<\/p>\n
It has been compared to Formula 1, although reports suggest that it would be condensed into a 14-week season outside of the international windows to still allow the top individuals to feature in Test<\/a> rugby.<\/p>\n It is a bold idea and one which was met with scepticism when initially revealed, but Ireland legend O\u2019Driscoll<\/a> remains open to anything which could potentially benefit rugby going forward.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know whether we\u2019ve discussed this rogue franchise league that is being touted. There was a bit of noise about a year or 18 months ago, like the \u201912s\u2019 that was suggested which vanished and never came back, but this has actually continued to bubble,\u201d he told Off The Ball.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s talk of 30 of the top 50 players in the world being interested in taking part in it. It would ultimately become a critical mass piece around enough players signing on and it becomes a thing. Apparently, there are very deep pockets.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve just heard that it\u2019s not gone away so maybe that [can work]. I don\u2019t know if any of the unions would be interested in that, whether they\u2019re totally against it, whether World Rugby<\/a> is for it, but it does feel as though rugby on a global stage needs change.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s been happening previously is that we\u2019re just staying afloat, just keeping the head above the water. Ultimately, you will run out of road in that regard.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Driscoll\u2019s comments came as part of a wider debate about rugby\u2019s finances, with a number of unions struggling following the impact of Covid-19.<\/p>\n