Tuesday 23 May 2017 16:19, UK
The Sevens teams of England, Scotland and Wales are set to permanently combine as Great Britain, Sky Sources have revealed.
Information has been obtained which suggests the changes are being made as a result of Sevens' involvement in the Olympics. Under current rules, the teams who finish in the top four of the Series two years ahead of the Olympics are given automatic qualification into the Games, with Team GB allowed to nominate a country to represent their qualification bid.
It is thought other nations have voiced their disapproval of the system which allows essentially three opportunities for Team GB to qualify, as well as more chances to halt the progression of rivals in the series standings.
The three nations would still break away for the Sevens World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, it is understood.
Should the proposed changes be made it would bring to an end some of the exciting clashes that have played out between the sides, with England losing out to Scotland in a thrilling final in London last weekend, after the Scots came from behind in the semi-final to beat New Zealand for the first time in their history.
However, Team GB are apparently eager for the proposal to bear fruit, as it would give them more time to prepare for the Olympics if they operate as an entity throughout the Sevens series.
It is believed that England, Scotland and Wales had reservations about the merger as the Sevens programme has acted as a good developmental tool for the 15-man game, and there would be no way for each country to influence the inclusion of their players to aid growth.
However, the idea of being relieved of the financial burden of sustaining a Sevens team has helped the proposal gain traction, with Scotland - who over the weekend sealed back-to-back London titles - coming close to shutting down their Sevens programme in the past due to the costs involved.
The changes are part of a raft of adjustments World Rugby are planning in order to shake up the Sevens series to increase its popularity.
Other changes include reducing the number of teams taking part in the series from 16 to 12, which would suit Great Britain participating as it would take two teams out of the equation - though concerns have been raised about the circuit being watered down if World Rugby retain the 16-nation series and force three of its high-performing teams to combine.
Another change would be starting the series in London in August to combat the current length of the off-season which lasts from June to December, with Hong Kong - the series' flagship tournament - becoming the last stop of the calendar.
All three unions have been approached by Sky Sports for comment on the proposed merger, with Scottish Rugby responding to say: "We are preparing for next year's World Series, Commonwealth Games and World Cup 7s competitions."
