Friday plan for Six Nations

Organisers of the Six Nations rugby tournament are planning to raise £100million from a new three-year television deal which could include at least one Friday night kick-off.

A top-level meeting tomorrow will study detailed reports of extensive research into such radical issues as condensing the tournament to five consecutive weekends instead of its current format spread over nine weeks between February and April. Any proposal for a Friday night start, unheard of since the championship began more than 130 years ago, will almost certainly produce a storm of protest from fans already annoyed at the inconvenience caused by the introduction in recent seasons of Sunday matches, a move dictated by television to avoid Saturday fixture clashes.

Asked about Friday night kick-offs, Six Nations?chairman Allan Hosie said yesterday:?I would not discount it, it is not beyond the bounds of possibility. I want to open all the doors, explore all the avenues and look at every possibility.

?Friday nights are becoming very popular with the professional game in Ireland and Scotland. We have consulted a wide range of people and some have been quite positive about Friday nights.?

Two more Sunday matches are scheduled for next year?s tournament ? Ireland v Wales in Dublin in March and Italy v England in Rome in April ? but support for Sunday internationals is waning.

Hosie said:?Sunday matches have not proved popular. I thought they would have taken off but they haven?t. And it?s common knowledge that the French are very keen to develop a Saturday evening kick-off.