"Get it out the way" – England prop Ellis Genge wants to scrap second Six Nations fallow week
02/28/2025 07:00 AM
England prop Ellis Genge is backing the idea to remove a fallow week from the Guinness Men’s Six Nations, with the plans reported to come into fruition for the 2026 championship. The change would half the amount of fixture free weeks from the current tournament structure from two to one, and Genge believes that would only be a good move for the World Rugby global calendar.
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The Bristolian spoke on the matter at the LNER Community Stadium, as England take their show on the road with an open training session in York. “Absolutely. I'd rather just get it out of the way.” Genge said, as the current seven-week structure of ‘Rugby’s Greatest Championship’ certainly takes a mental toll upon the players.
England will also lose a preparation week ahead of their 2025 Autumn Nations Series, with no time for Steve Borthwick’s men to head out to Girona for their regular tune-up. The RFU have added a fourth Autumn fixture to their schedule, with the initial plans being for just three November Tests – which is customary for a British & Irish Lions tour year.
A match against Australia has been added for November 1st, which will then roll into subsequent weekends as England take on Fiji (Saturday 8th), New Zealand (Saturday 15th) and Argentina (Sunday 23rd) at the Allianz Stadium.
"One week less. And the extra game. It is horses for courses, I would rather it was boom, boom, boom get it all out of the way. You are battle hardened, the more time you have off the more it hurts, the more my neck hurts so I would rather be battle hardened and just go through it.
“I understand some people probably want the time away, and it is nice to be able to spend a few days with your family, but you are still going home then two days later spending three days up here in York, five hours away on the train. People call it a rest week but it is not necessarily a rest week, for 48 hours after the game, the two days you have off, you are probably still thinking about the game anyway.”
Genge expressed how he is not concerned by battling through repeated Test weeks, and explained how no professional player would in their right mind, turn down the opportunity to play on the Lions Tour of Australia, even after an extended England season.
"For me, I am not bothered by it, I am not affected by it. From a medical point, you are talking about Maro going over the limits, I don't know. He has always done it, the boy has played loads of rugby, he is robust, it is what he does, I think he enjoys it and if you asking the question about Lions at the end of the year, I don't think there is any man in the team that would say 'no I am all right, I have played too many games'. So that is the answer."
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