New World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont has not ruled out moving the Six Nations to April as he bids to formulate a new global calendar.
Beaumont, voted in unanimously to replace the outgoing Bernard Lapasset on Wednesday, has identified producing a more effective calendar as one of his main challenges.
Southern hemisphere nations want their northern counterparts' summer tours moved from June to July to minimise disruption to the Super Rugby season.
Top administrators believe a globally-aligned campaign could more easily regulate the number of games leading stars play each year, as scrutiny increases on the overall well-being of rugby's main protagonists.
Moving the Six Nations back a month from its current February to March slot could facilitate that, but the tournament's chief executive John Feehan has previously described its scheduling as "non-negotiable".
"The game has changed undoubtedly and you have got to keep moving," Beaumont told the Times.
"You have got to be prepared to look at it [moving by a month]. That could well be a solution. Everybody has to take a look at it. I know John will probably be quite reluctant to do so. It's a question of compromise."
The issue of an improved global calendar is pressing as there are currently no international fixtures scheduled for after the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Meanwhile, incoming vice-chairman Agustin Pichot reiterated his calls for a change to international eligibility rules that currently allow a player to represent their adopted country after three years residency.
The World Rugby Council rejected any change to the current law last October.
"Somebody will kill me, but we need to change it," Pichot said. "This is my personal opinion, I think it should be for life, like in football.
"But, I understand maybe a five-year [qualification period] has been discussed and I think it will be on the agenda in the next six months."
The Press Association contributed to this report.
Six Nations could move to April - Beaumont
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