The International Rugby Board council have approved a new decade-long playing schedule that will place a renewed emphasis on traditional tours involving the top Test sides. The new calendar, which will begin in 2012, is designed to provide more "meaningful" meetings between southern hemisphere and Six Nations countries.
The IRB plan to have northern hemisphere sides touring their southern hemisphere counterparts on a rotational basis in June, with each host nation playing a two or three-Test series against one touring side in the summer window.
There will also be a move back to midweek tour matches, a feature which has fallen out of vogue in the professional era.
In addition to these changes the IRB also outlined a commitment to developing second-tier nations, with return tours planned to the Pacific Islands, North America and 2019 World Cup hosts Japan.
The official statement read: "Traditional tours are back on the international rugby calendar after the International Rugby Board council approved a new global 10-year playing schedule that will shape the Test landscape in the run-up to Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan.
"The schedule, which commences in 2012, will lead to more meaningful Tests between SANZAR and Six Nations unions during the June window, providing an attractive and equitable commercial model."
IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset added: "The approval of this new global schedule represents an historic landmark for the game and is the culmination of extensive work that kicked off at the Woking Forum in 2007 where the global rugby family committed to finding an appropriate schedule that adds value to the June window, provides the catalyst for the growth of our sport and is acceptable to all the game's major stakeholders.
"The development of a global schedule is not an easy task. However, this schedule will lay the foundations for rugby to continue its phenomenal growth throughout the next decade and beyond. I would like to thank all the unions for their full collaboration and commitment to drafting a schedule that is in the best interests of the game."