Ben Earl calls for changes to 'brutal' Nations Championship format

England's Ben Earl has urged organisers to reconsider the format of the Nations Championship after what he described as a 'brutal' schedule that saw his team play three Tests in three different continents on consecutive weekends, accumulating 25,000 miles of travel.

The inaugural competition required Steve Borthwick's side to take four long-haul and four short-haul flights over the past four weeks, a factor Earl says contributed to players losing sleep and having a reduced training schedule.

Earl speaks out on travel demands

Speaking after England's victory over Argentina, Earl questioned why the tournament could not be hosted in a single country to reduce travel. 'Why would we not all be playing in one country? So you just don't travel, you go to one nation and have that festival feel,' he said.

• Three Tests in three different continents on successive weekends
• 25,000 miles of travel accumulated
• Four long-haul and four short-haul flights in four weeks
• Players experienced sleep loss and reduced training
• Earl suggests a single-host country format

Despite the travel toll, England's victory over Argentina keeps them in contention for the final, which is scheduled for 29 November at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium. The competition resumes in the autumn, with England next facing Australia on 8 November.

Earl acknowledged that such schedules may become the norm, saying, 'It's just something we're going to have to get used to because I think it's just the beginning.'