New guidelines limit players to 30 full games in a season or six consecutive game weeks. Photo: Fiji Rugby Union
International rugby players will now be limited to playing 30 full games per season and must have at least five weeks of off-season, following a World Rugby executive board decision to adopt new player load guidelines.
World Rugby made the decision in a recent meeting where player welfare was at the centre of a proposal put forward by a team of leading experts representing players, unions, regions and competitions around the globe.
This new guideline covers the elite men's and women's game around the world and will come into force in the summer of 2026.
New guidelines limit players to 30 full games in a season or six consecutive game weeks.
Players are entitled to rest times after international selection and at least a five-week off season period.
"The guidelines are supported by leagues, unions, independent experts and International Rugby Players Association," World Rugby said in a statement released on Wednesday.
It said the guidelines are supported by scientific evidence or in the absence of existing studies, expert opinion.
"The guidelines take a precautionary approach to player load in all circumstances in line with existing World Rugby policies and guidelines on player welfare. The guidelines will act as a backstop where no local agreement around player load currently exist."
The Pacific Nations Cup, which conluded two weekends ago, covered five weeks of consecutive games for Fiji, Tonga, Canada, Japan and the United States of America.
Samoa played seven consecutive weeks of rugby, with the two 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification matches against Chile added on top of their PNC schedule.
The side lost around 15 players along the way, the majority of them to injuries suffered as the long campaign took its toll on the players.
According to World Rugby, the new guidelines state that players should:
- Play no more than 30 games in a single season or six consecutive match weeks
- Have a dedicated 5-week off season break
- Be entitled to minimum rest periods should they be selected for international fixtures of at least 1 week
- Across a year, have 12 weeks of non-contact time
- Communicate thoroughly between club and country
"Player welfare is at the heart of everything that rugby does and World Rugby had made agreement of these new guidelines a condition of approval for the new Nations Championship which can now begin in the summer of 2026," the statement said.
"These guidelines are the result of much intense negotiation over many years, I'd like to congratulate all involved on achieving this agreement,"World Rugby chairman Dr Brett Robinson said.
He said, as with all World Rugby policies, these guidelines were informed by the latest science and expert opinion.
"Our hope, over time, is that unions and competitions reach local agreements to best serve the individual circumstances of players.
"In the meantime, these guidelines provide a solid backstop. As we grow our sport, players can be sure that they are being well supported by their clubs, unions and at the very top of the game by World Rugby."
Meanwhile, while the membership of the Player Load Project Group features a number of former players and rugby experts from around the world, there is no representation of Pacific Island unions and players, although former All Black Conrad Smith represents the international player association.
