Rugby Australia open to hosting new international tournament in July

Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan said Australia will be open to host a new 'mini Rugby World Cup' tournament in July to fulfill the international calendar.

Australia successfully hosted the tri-nations Rugby Championship tournament that also involved New Zealand and Argentina amid the pandemic coronavirus and also had a successful Super Rugby AU competition.

France are already scheduled to visit Australia in July and McLennan said they would consider hosting matches of other teams in the summer tour that could run parallel with the Rugby Championship.

"We are still expecting the Rugby Championship to go ahead this year but perhaps we can add to it and create a 'mini World Cup'," McLennan told the Financial Times.

"We have the French in July but if anyone else wants to come out, great. We have a significant British and Irish population here and South Africans.

"We are open to creating a new tournament and keeping the international calendar going."