'Whatever transpires from now on, this has tainted the tournament'
Never work with animals, small babies and 1400km-wide biblically-sized typhoons. That old adage routinely does the rounds in live TV. Okay, artistic licence has been added for the last bit, but it’s a serious point.
When due diligence was being done on Japan as a venue for the world’s third-largest sporting event, if you’re to use the game’s parlance, would you go high-risk and elect to host a tournament in an area that is renowned for earthquakes and in the heart of typhoon season, or play percentage rugby? With typhoons not exactly a passing fad in the Far East, you don’t have to be Tomasz Schafernaker to realise you’re taking a punt.
It’s this question I keep asking myself when conflicted over the fallout of Typhoon Hagibis, as I have been in the light of England vs France and New Zealand vs Italy being cancelled.
Firstly, you have to concede World Rugby have made a judicious decision in stopping these games.
Should any supporter, casual worker, squad member or support staff be injured by inclement weather conditions, the game’s governing body would have far bigger fires to douse but they could have avoided these uncomfortable questions had they chosen not to roll the dice.
Safety is paramount, and those affected by this palaver understand this, but it is only right to ask whether egregious mistakes have been made.
When the decision was made in 2009 to award the World Cup to Japan, nobody should doubt the intentions on taking the World Cup to Japan were honourable.
They widely lauded by the great and the good of the game and in the intervening years, PR-friendly missives about ‘growing the game’ peppered inboxes almost as often as messages about earthquakes covering up tattoos but it’s worth noting that financial factors was a part of the decision making. World Rugby proudly announced the sponsor roster was overflowing as far as a year out. It wasn’t pure altruism at play.
Furthermore, it should be pointed out that Japan have been wonderful, hospitable hosts. This shouldn’t mothball thoughts of taking the rugby world to this part of the world in future but it’s clear that to host the tournament on identical dates would be foolhardy.
As the tyres are kicked on rugby’s global calendar for the next decade, the problem for the ‘rugby family’ is that fault lines separate the game’s governing bodies, so should a return to Japan be mooted, you’d be have to wonder whether the Pro14, Top 14 and Premiership Rugby would be willing to cede too much ground in rearranging competitions that have already been disrupted.
On the Test stage, as well, it doesn’t take Colleen Rooney to deduce that the relationship between World Rugby and the Six Nations committee was strained around the proposal and subsequent rejection for the World Nations League and the impending injection of finance from CVC, has further muddied the waters.
Compromises will have to be eked out.
As previously mentioned, the tournament was awarded to Japan a decade ago, as Italy and South Africa were overlooked in a formal process, so you have to wonder what the contingency plans were in place for rescheduling games in the event they came under threat as a result of a ‘force majeure’ because I haven’t seen them.
Whatever transpires from now on, this has tainted the tournament. Never once in its 32-year history has a fixture been cancelled and it has opened a Pandora’s Box of issues that may yet come back to bite the tournament’s organisers. Italy, for one, will not have a chance to pit their wits against the reigning world champions, the All Blacks, depriving two of Italy’s greats, Sergio Parisse and Leonardo Ghiraldini, a chance to say addio to their loyal fans, and while the Azzurri were going home anyway the remaining sides will have mixed feelings about the cancellation.
Sergio Parisse doesn't pull his punches in slamming the decision to cancel Italy's match on Saturday versus the All Blacks https://t.co/ojuGuS5bRK
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 10, 2019
England have barely had to clunk the gears in this tournament and the thought of facing the battle-hardened Wallabies in the quarter-finals is less than ideal. Correspondingly, the word from the French camp is that they’re less than enamoured not to have the chance to reprise their entente cordiale to better prepare them for facing a Welsh side, whom they have only beaten once since 2011. France and ‘bang in form’ aren’t exactly bedfellows at present.
For the Welsh and Australian camps, should they lose, you can expect griping from some voluble quarters about the extended rest periods afforded to their opponents. In knockout rugby, so there is little room for nuance. You win or you lose. In a tournament, you want to feel that it’s a level-playing field and this has opened up room for side’s to take umbridge.
Extra week of rest, top of the pool ???? #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/ObZOjTyZ8d
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 10, 2019
If you bundle in issues with global broadcasters and sponsors, the forecast for World Rugby is stormy enough, but should the Japan v Scotland game be cancelled on Sunday, they will realise they are in the eye of the storm. If Gregor Townsend’s men are not afforded the opportunity to overcome the Brave Blossoms in Yokahama, rest assured that the feelings of the SRU and its fans will be made in no uncertain terms. Shrugging shoulders and saying, ‘shit happens’ isn’t going to cut it, especially after they bombed out of the 2015 World Cup after a refereeing error from Craig Joubert.
Finally, spare a thought for the travelling fans. Without them, the tournament lacks colour, passion and raw emotion. For the few, the thousands of pounds shelled out for eye-watering packages will be small change. It will be a case of downing a few beers, taking in the underground shopping in the malls of Tokyo and finding other forms of entertainment but for the majority, who have saved for years for this once in a lifetime opportunity, the cancellation of games, at rugby’s global showpiece will be crushing and scars could take years to heal.
Up to now, Japan 2019 had been a roaring success but World Rugby knows matters are out of their hands. All they can do is hope and pray Hagibis decides to change course and blow itself out into the Pacific before more damage is inflicted. Simply, they need luck.
It shouldn’t have come to this.
Press conference with Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt and captain Rory Best ahead of the side’s crucial World Cup match against Samoa.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments