The rugby morning headlines as WRU chairman open to moving start of the Six Nations

The breaking news and rugby stories from Wales and beyond on Friday, May 29

Here's the rugby morning headlines for Friday, May 29

Welsh Rugby Union chairman says moving start date of Six Nations is 'not a big issue'

Welsh Rugby Union chairman Gareth Davies says moving the start date of the 2021 Six Nations would not be a big issue.

Davies has been involved in a week of talks with Six Nations chiefs over plotting the way ahead for the blue riband tournament.

The shutdown of sport due to the coronavirus pandemic has seen the 2020 Six Nations competition left in limbo with four matches still to be played including the Wales v Scotland clash at the Principality Stadium.

It was initially envisaged those games could be completed in late October, but doubts have been cast in the meantime whether the competition will get a satisfactory outcome due to the coronavirus shutdown of sport.

Alongside that World Rugby are considering different options to try to create a global season which would align the game in the northern and southern hemispheres.

Davies says delaying the Six Nations, which normally starts in February, by one month would be a compromise if it brought harmony to the game.

"If moving the Six Nations helps bringing the jigsaw together and everyone would have to make compromises ,I don’t think that’s a big issue at all," Davies told the BBC.

"March-April wouldn't be that much of an issue really if it enables harmony in moving forward."

Davies added on the WRU website: "I've been involved in various Six Nations operations meetings over the past week, where we talk to representatives from each of the Unions to evaluate last season and look into what we may review for the year ahead.

"Obviously, in the current climate, these meetings have an extra dimension as we are all still unsure about how the season ahead will pan out, but I mention them here because they have given me the feeling that, when the time comes, rugby will be ready, willing and able to return as quickly as safety precautions dictate.

"A lot of hard work is taking place behind the scenes, as it always does each year at this time, to bring a Six Nations competition that is the envy of the sporting world and, once health and government advice allows, I know it will be a case of now ‘the show must go on’."

Restart of the Gallagher Premiership in England boosted

England's Gallagher Premiership is inching closer to a return to action with reports clubs have been advised by the Government they could initially return to training without taking their players off furlough.

The Daily Mail report HMRC have advised a return to initial training would not invalidate terms of the furlough scheme as players would not be earning income or be providing a service to their employers.

But when matches resume, players would have to be taken off the Government-backed furlough scheme.

The news brings some relief to England's top clubs as they get to grips with the financial hit caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

It's reported the Premiership clubs could be face a combined £50 million hit from the shutdown and on Thursday Exeter Chiefs announced this would be the first time in 22 years they would not be posting a profit at Sandy Park.