Former Wales captain Sam Warburton has reiterated calls for a relegation play-off in the Six Nations, even if it means Warren Gatland’s side dropping out of the series.

Warburton has stuck to his guns and claimed that the recipients of the Wooden Spoon should play for their future in the competition against the winners of the Rugby Europe Championship – Georgia.

“Elephant in the room,” Warburton said on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast. “I bet there’s some people listening to this podcast thinking, ‘I bet you don’t want a relegation battle now, Sam, do you?’ But I said this when Italy were losing every year – there should be a play-off.”

“If you asked me now, ‘What do you reckon, Sam?’ – absolutely. I’m not sitting here saying Wales are untouchable. It would be brilliant TV.

“I know what people will say – ‘It would ruin the game financially if Wales drop down, they’d have to play Portugal, Russia, Spain.’”