Last update on. From the section Rugby Union
Steve Hansen is the World 12s Ambassador, a former head coach for New Zealand that won the World Cup.
A new 12-a-side Rugby competition has been proposed for England in August.
World 12s is a new tournament that will feature 192 of world's top players. Eight franchises were selected via auction.
World 12s Limited states that the competition will be held over three weekends and feature a round-robin format, before going to knockouts.
Ian Ritchie, chairman of the rugby union organisation, stated that "World 12s" is a natural evolution.
"We believe that this game is for our fast-paced, changing world and can excite a global audience in the same way as we saw with the IPL [Indian Premier League] and most recently The Hundred in Cricket."
Ritchie, who was previously chief executive of Rugby Football Union's Rugby Football Union, will be joined by Gareth Davies, former chairman of the Welsh Rugby Union, and Steve Tew, former chief executive at New Zealand Rugby Union.
The World 12s claim they plan to inject as much rugby union as $250m through the tournament. They will also offer equal prize money for men & women with the women's competition set for 2023.
While most of the players will be from Tier One countries, every franchise will need to select at least two Tier Two players and one international under-20 player.
World 12s said that informal conversations with World Rugby, clubs and unions, as well as players, were "constructive".
World Rugby insists that extensive discussions with tournament organizers are vital.
World Rugby stated that they were aware of the new World 12s competition.
"While we are open to innovative thinking that could increase the reach, attraction, and growth of the sport," said the organizers. They need to consult extensively with them to assess the viability of this concept, especially in light of ongoing global calendar discussions as well as the priority area of player welfare.
"They want to be there due to who they are playing with"
Steve Hansen, former All Blacks coach, is a World 12s ambassador. He believes that players will be excited about the opportunity to play in the new tournament.
BBC Sport's David Jones said that he believes the players will be interested in this and will push their unions and clubs to see the calendar.
"Why is this different?" The players will be interested in the game for many reasons.
"One, it's the most obvious. The second is the idea of spending three weeks with some the most talented players in the world and rubbing shoulders on the training fields. That's too great to pass up.
"If you look at the IPL, people don't want to be there to make money. They want to be there because they like the people they play with."
