Former Wales captain Gwyn Jones says it will "take months" for players to be Test-match ready following their lay-off during the coronavirus pandemic.

Summer tours are off globally and leading figures hope to rekindle Test rugby in October, a period that has also been mooted for European finals.

No firm plans or dates are in place for the Pro14 or their counterpart competitions in England and France.

"The return will have to be slow," said former flanker Jones.

"Playing an intense international will take some time after months off.

"The body has to get ready but rugby won't be back in weeks, it will take months and they will have to take small steps before they play again."

Several Wales players have tested positive for Covid-19 since the virus took hold during the now suspended 2020 Six Nations, but Jones, a GP, has no fears over players' health if they do so.

The former Llanelli and Cardiff flanker told BBC Radio Cymru: "I'm not worried about their health - as players they will probably be the least likely to suffer because of the virus because they are fit, young and healthy."

Like many involved in the game, he feels it offers the chance to formulate a globally-aligned international season.

"If there is a good thing to come out of this it is an opportunity to reorganise the international calendar so that players go from one competition to another," he said.

"Not like now, where they go from the Pro14 to Europe to an international within two weeks.

"I think we need to look at the season - how it's organised. That's one positive thing we could take out of this in the long term."

Jones backed the decision to postpone summer tours.

He said: "Everybody expected this decision to be confirmed by World Rugby and that's what has happened.

"People having to travel from one end of the world to the other during this time - safely - would just be impossible.

"These games were always going to be postponed and now the unions are just looking at how they can restart the international calendar.

"Now I can see how international games could be organised. International squads go into some kind of isolation during internationals - they stay in hotels with no contact from others - and teams flying in do the same.

"But the question is how will easing restrictions affect how the virus spreads?

"If that goes well, I think there's hope we could see games in the autumn. But if there is an increase in cases I think rugby in the autumn will have to be postponed."

However, he warned against suggestions that lessening contact when the sport resumes will be suitable for all levels.

"We're all waiting to go back to rugby and life as we remember it," Jones said.

"I think if you change the rules because of this pandemic they would be short-term changes. People just want some kind of rugby.

"But rugby is the kind of sport where contact is a necessity - it's part of the game.

"Touch rugby could work on a village level, but that won't satisfy people who want to see live rugby on the TV and that's what funds the sport."