The 2011 World Cup in New Zealand will remain a 20-team competition, the International Rugby Board announced on Friday.

The decision to stick with the current format was taken at a special meeting of the IRB council which itself followed a three-day global rugby forum held by the governing body in Woking, south of London, where proposals for the future development of the international game were agreed.

Among these were an expansion of Argentina's Test programme and plans to ease the burden on players caused by the northern and southern hemisphere rugby seasons taking place at different times of the year.

Before this year's World Cup, where South Africa beat England 15-6 in October's final in Paris, a reduction in four years' time from 20 teams to 16 was being considered because of the numerous mismatches that had taken place in the previous five editions.

However, an outstanding feature of the 2007 World Cup was the improved efforts of the so-called 'minnows' with, for example, Georgia coming close to a huge upset win over Ireland.

"The developing nations at Rugby World Cup 2007 have produced significantly enhanced performances since RWC 2003," said IRB chairman Dr Syd Millar, citing the board's #30-million ($60-million) investment programme as a factor in their progress, in a statement issued on Friday.

Former Ireland international Millar added: "The successful New Zealand tender bid for RWC 2011 was based on 20 teams. At the council meeting the motion maintaining the number of teams at RWC at 20 was proposed by New Zealand council member Graham Mourie.

"The IRB is very confident that the tournament will be a huge success."

Another highlight of the 2007 World Cup was Argentina's third-place finish despite the Pumas not being involved in a major annual competition such as Europe's Six Nations or the southern hemisphere's Tri-Nations.

While the forum agreed that Argentina's future lay in the southern hemisphere, the talks stopped short of including the Pumas in an expanded Tri-Nations.

An IRB statement indicated this would not happen before 2012 at the very earliest although a spokesman stressed the issue of Tri-Nations numbers remained a matter for event organisers SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australian Rugby).

Most of Argentina's leading players are with European clubs and so would like to play in the Six Nations. But Six Nations chiefs say they've no room for another team.

That is not an issue in the Tri-Nations but the vast distance between Argentina and the other three countries which, an IRB spokesman told AFP, raises "player welfare" concerns, remains a stumbling block.

"In the short-term there are major hurdles to the integration of Argentina into the southern playing structure because the majority of their top players are based in Europe which leads to many practical and player welfare issues," an IRB statement said.

"However, the UAR (Argentina Rugby Union) made a commitment to have its players contracted to the Union and for the majority of its players to be based in Argentina by 2012."

That will require a huge transformation, not least in cash terms, given that rugby union in Argentina is still an amateur game.

But the IRB said it was necessary so that "so that Argentina can be fully integrated into the southern top-flight rugby playing structure".

In the meantime, from 2008 to 2010, Argentina will play nine Tests per year instead of their current six.

Among other measures approved were proposals to cap the number of Tests played by any one country to 11 per year and the implementation of a 10-week rest period for professional players.

It was also agreed that the English and French professional club seasons would end on 31 May to ensuring full strength international squads for the June Tests in the southern hemisphere.

Both the leading European nations have been criticised by the SANZAR countries for repeatedly sending weakened teams on tour, thereby devaluing Test match rugby and so risking a drop in the hosts' income.

Among the 90 delegates were leading players including Argentina captain Agustin Pichot and New Zealand skipper Richie McCaw.

The IRB said the 2011 World Cup would take place in September to October with the final on the weekend of 22-23 October.

South Africa, England, Argentina, France, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Fiji, Wales, Ireland, Tonga and Italy have automatically qualified as the top three teams in their respective 2007 World Cup pools.

Although the IRB said the qualification system was being reviewed, it added qualification for the remaining eight 2011 places would begin next year.