Six Nations to resume in October as World Rugby approves new calendar

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VIDEO SHOWS: FILE OF SIX NATIONS LAUNCH WITH CAPTAINS OF MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TEAMS POSING WITH TROPHY

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - JANUARY 22, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. SIX NATIONS TROPHY

2. TEAM CAPTAINS POSING WITH SIX NATIONS TROPHY (LEFT TO RIGHT) FRANCE'S CHARLES OLLIVON, SCOTLAND'S STUART HOGG, ENGLAND'S OWEN FARRELL, WALES' ALUN WYN JONES, ITALY'S LUCA BIGI AND IRELAND'S JONATHAN SEXTON

3. PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS

4. VARIOUS OF CAPTAINS POSING WITH TROPHY

5. VARIOUS OF IRELAND HEAD COACH, ANDY FARRELL (LEFT), AND IRELAND CAPTAIN, JONATHAN SEXTON (RIGHT), POSING WITH TROPHY

6. VARIOUS OF WOMEN'S TEAM CAPTAINS (LEFT TO RIGHT) WALES' SIWAN LILLICRAP, FRANCE'S GAELLE HERMET, ENGLAND'S SARAH HUNTER, ITALY'S GIADA FRANCO, IRELAND'S CIARA GRIFFIN AND SCOTLAND'S RACHEL MALCOLM POSING WITH SIX NATIONS TROPHY

STORY: The remaining rounds of the Six Nations Championship will be played on October 24 and 31 after World Rugby approved dates for the temporary 2020 COVID-19 calendar on Thursday (July 30).

The World Rugby Council approved an adjustment to allow the release of players for new international windows after the pandemic forced the sport's suspension in March.

The Council approved the release of players for the window between October 24 and the first weekend of December.

The final rounds of the men's and women's Six Nations will be followed by a rest weekend on November 7 and then four consecutive rounds of international matches, World Rugby said in a statement.

This year's Six Nations saw four matches postponed due to the pandemic.

England are top of the standings with 13 points, ahead of France on points difference. All teams have one game left to play apart from Ireland and Italy, who have two.

England also topped the women's Six Nations standings before the tournament was suspended, with the unbeaten Red Roses one win away from a second consecutive Grand Slam.

World Rugby also approved a window from November 7 to the second week of December for the southern hemisphere's Rugby Championship.

The southern hemisphere's governing body SANZAAR had confirmed New Zealand as its preferred host for the annual competition after the country virtually eliminated the coronavirus domestically.

(Production: Kurt Michael Hall)