A history of cancelled rugby matches, from wild weather to political impasses
NZ Herald with additional reporting
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.
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.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2tUuigorLC/
But a series of bomb threats and death threats by the IRA ratcheted up the pressure.
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?).
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3bp8OFgEI7/
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
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments