Contingency plans are currently being made which could see a home and away Guinness Six Nations tournament being played next season.
The option is being considered if the southern hemisphere nations are unable to travel to Europe this autumn due to pandemic travel restrictions.
IRFU chief executive Philip Browne told Off The Ball last month that the union is facing a potential loss of €20million should their postponed games against Italy and France and the planned November games against South Africa, Japan and Australia not take place.
Browne added that even if those games are played behind closed doors, they'll still miss out on €10-15million in ticket sales.
English RFU chief Bill Sweeney has told Sky Sports that unions in both hemispheres are now actively looking at back-up plans should travel issues scupper the November internationals:
"The preference from both the north and the south is that the original programme will go ahead. But of course that's driven a lot by international travel restrictions so both the north and south are developing back-up contingency plans.
"There are two or three different options we could go ahead with that feature more northern hemisphere competition around that autumn window.
"One of them if you'd play a Six Nations tournament in that autumn that would combine with fixtures next year and for the first time ever you'd have home and away. It's possible. Every plan has pros and cons to it and those are being evaluated."
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