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A history of cancelled rugby matches, from wild weather to political impasses
NZ Herald with additional reporting
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World Rugby has officially announced the cancellation of the All Blacks-Italy and England-France matches at the Rugby World Cup in Japan as Typhoon Hagibis bears down on the country.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency is monitoring Typhoon Hagibis, which is expected to lash southern Honshu over the weekend and could put further matches in the area in jeopardy.
These two matches are the first at a Rugby World Cup ever to be cancelled in its history since 1987.
Cancelling rugby test matches is very rare; most games go ahead in rain, snow and all sorts of inclement weather, though hardly typhoons.
Continue reading below…
There are only a handful of tests – and some first class matches – which have been cancelled or abandoned. Here’s a list of them:
Ireland v France, Paris, 2012
This match was abandoned just two minutes after the scheduled kick-off time at the Stade de France – because the pitch was still frozen.
The capacity crowd of 80,000 people were told by the PA announcer that the ground was not deemed safe for playing a game of rugby.
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Eventually the French captain Thierry Dusautoir took to the PA to reassure the crowd that the game had indeed been called off.
By the time the game was due to start the air temperature was -5C.
The whole thing was described by the Daily Telegraph as one of the biggest PR disasters in the Six Nations.
Ireland v Scotland and Ireland v Wales, 1972
It was the height of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland and rugby became a dangerous occupation.
Ireland had beaten France and England away and turned to their home games of Scotland and Wales.
But a series of bomb threats and death threats by the IRA ratcheted up the pressure.
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The games were due to be played in the wake of the burning down of the British Embassy after Bloody Sunday.
Eventually both players and authorities decided to call off the matches.
Russia v Georgia, 2019
Perhaps unnoticed among the bigger matches of this year was the abandonment of the Russia v Georgia game in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The game was set to go ahead in August but Russian authorities decided that “demonstrations by radical persons” in protest against Russian political actionism meant the team would not travel to Georgia.
Georgian authorities said they could guarantee the safety of the team. Russia wouldn’t budge.
Japan v Hong Kong, 2015
Unlike the other matches on this list, this fixture wasn’t actually called off until a quarter of the match had been played. Perhaps its cancellation wasn’t famous at the time – but in hindsight, the outcome was rather ominous.
It was to be Japan’s final warm-up game in the lead up to the 2015 Rugby World Cup but some excessively heavy rain courtesy of a passing typhoon rendered the match unplayable (sounds familiar?).
Despite Japan being a massive three points ahead on the scoreboard at the 20-minute mark, the game was deemed a draw.
Eddie Jones was purportedly not very happy with the outcome, wanting to test his team with the World Cup on the horizon.
Crusaders v Highlanders, 2019
Following the tragedy of the mass shootings in the mosques in Christchurch, the Crusaders and Highlanders decided to cancel the match in Dunedin.
Police had given the go-ahead for the game from a security point of view but the Crusaders organisation said that “all other issues and considerations pale in significance” after the loss of life.
With the news the Crusaders franchise will undergo a rebrand, @tomvinirugby processes what will happen to the identity of Super Rugby's most successful franchise. https://t.co/PMKFjfLXNn
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 3, 2019
But while the game was called off, it also began a debate on the name of the Crusaders – did it evoke the Christian anti-Islamic crusades?
In the end, the Crusaders decided to keep the name for at least the 2020 season.
Springboks v Waikato, 1981
Probably the most famous cancelled match in New Zealand history.
The Springbok tour went ahead despite massive protests against apartheid South Africa.
It all came together – police and protesters – in a massive pitch invasion in Hamilton.
After that little would be the same again – not rugby, not the tour and maybe not even New Zealand.
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and is republished with permission.
Fans are not happy with World Rugby’s supposed lack of foresight:
Comments on RugbyPass
Did footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to comments