Rugby-Mini world championship should be considered - Henry

WELLINGTON, May 23 (Reuters) - A mini world championship involving the game's leading countries with results determining rankings for the World Cup would be more meaningful than the June and November tests, All Blacks coach Graham Henry said.

Henry, who is finalising his All Blacks squad for next month's tests against France and Italy, would also like to see full rugby tours reinstituted rather than the hit and run test matches that occur under the current international windows.

"I think they've got to make those June and November windows as meaningful as possible," Henry told Saturday's Dominion Post newspaper.

"I think perhaps the year of the Lions tour they should have tours, so the French should tour one of the southern hemisphere countries and perhaps Italy or Argentina tour the other.

"So in those years perhaps they don't have the test matches, just have tours, which I think people would look forward to.

"In the other two years outside of the World Cup, I think they should have a mini world championship if you like where you've got the Six Nations and the Tri-Nations all playing each other.

"So you have a table and a competition and I think that would make it more meaningful and there would be some gradings from that going into World Cups and things like that."

Henry said the idea was his own and had not been discussed at the New Zealand Rugby Union or the International Rugby Board.

He also said the All Blacks selection panel had virtually settled on their squad for next month's tests, but it would not be announced until after the Super 14 final next week.

New Zealand play France in Dunedin on June 13 and Wellington on June 20 before meeting Italy in Christchurch on June 27. (Writing by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by Rex Gowar; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)