Rugby World Cup

[Foxholer]

Seriously, can you explain this huge opportunity? We get this wave of public emotion after every World sporting event.
This time the Japanese economy will of benefited and the profile of the game has been raised.
They are and weren’t some team just getting established that has had a fairytale experience after being plucked from obscurity.

Classic 'can't be bothered to do' attitude so typical of far too many 'Poms' in UK!

Carpe Diem!

If you can't see the opportunity, there's little point explaining it!

On a completely different point...While I applaud his contribution, I still haven't forgiven Jamie Joseph's obscene deliberate stamp on Kieran Bracken's ankle! That he continued in Rugby, unfortunately reflects the moral attitudes by NZ Rugby authorities!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

They beat S Africa in 2015, let’s blame the Southern Hemisphere for not taking them in.
They are already a World side, what plan do you expect and at who’s cost.
Let’s just say they do play NZ, Oz, SA every year, how will that benefit the 6 Nations? We’d still only play them the same amount of frequency as we do now.

I'm not suggesting that it is up the 6 Nations to bring them into the fold, this is a world rugby issue. The obvious point is they are a southern hemisphere team, could they be integrated better there? If not in the 'Rugby Championship' then more friendly games. If they hold their weight there then add them in to the tournament, they could probably give Argentina at the bare minimum a good match.

Could Japan be added into the roster of teams that play the Autumn internationals over here? That is not out of the question, surely?

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Classic 'can't be bothered to do' attitude so typical of far too many 'Poms' in UK!

Carpe Diem!

Rubbish, total cop out!
I’m being honest, I’m all for the game expanding, but you’ve got to get away from the romanticism and look at the practicality, nothing to do with “can’t be bothered” it’s the teams lower down, ie Romania, Canada, USA etc that could do with more help.
Why don’t the Rugby Authorities scrap the 6 Nations or The Rugby Championship and have a World tournament every year? Because it’s not practical.
Please give us your guidance oh clever one.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I'm not suggesting that it is up the 6 Nations to bring them into the fold, this is a world rugby issue. The obvious point is they are a southern hemisphere team, could they be integrated better there? If not in the 'Rugby Championship' then more friendly games. If they hold their weight there then add them in to the tournament, they could probably give Argentina at the bare minimum a good match.

Could Japan be added into the roster of teams that play the Autumn internationals over here? That is not out of the question, surely?

Mate, there are 105 teams in the Official Rugby World Rankings, Japan after the weekend are top 10, surely the effort needs to be on the 95 below them.
Japan has put on a great WC, just like they did when they hosted the Football and Olympics, the games/sports need to grow globally, not just focused on one team because people have taken to them.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Mate, there are 105 teams in the Official Rugby World Rankings, Japan after the weekend are top 10, surely the effort needs to be on the 95 below them.
Japan has put on a great WC, just like they did when they hosted the Football and Olympics, the games/sports need to grow globally, not just focused on one team because people have taken to them.

I don't disagree with that but the fact that they could fill those stadiums suggest Japan could add a bit more than some of the other teams on the fringes. If I was an accountant for a top national team my eyes would be lighting up at this World Cup. I would be arranging tours, sponsorship deals, promotions etc and be all over them.

Anyway, get romantic you grumpy old man , nothing wrong with a bit of sporting romance.

 

[Foxholer]

Rubbish, total cop out!
I’m being honest, I’m all for the game expanding, but you’ve got to get away from the romanticism and look at the practicality, nothing to do with “can’t be bothered” it’s the teams lower down, ie Romania, Canada, USA etc that could do with more help.
..

Oddly, I was going to describe your attitude as that!

There's nothing wrong with - and it should be encouraged - doing both! In fact, it would be a missed opportunity not to build world-wide on RWC19. In fact, it's likely that improvements would/will be more noticeable in the lower ranked teams - at least, imo, ones with 'sufficient' population. The likes of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga are rather hamstrung by that disadvantage - already 'punching above their weight'!

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Oddly, I was going to describe your attitude as that!

There's nothing wrong with - and it should be encouraged - doing both! In fact, it would be a missed opportunity not to build world-wide on RWC19. In fact, it's likely that improvements would/will be more noticeable in the lower ranked teams - at least, imo, ones with 'sufficient' population. The likes of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga are rather hamstrung by that disadvantage - already 'punching above their weight'!

Building on the RWC 19 and taking Japan in to the 6 Nations or The Rugby Championship is 2 different discussions.
In my opinion, every host Country is swept along when World events happen, these events should benefit everyone.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I don't disagree with that but the fact that they could fill those stadiums suggest Japan could add a bit more than some of the other teams on the fringes. If I was an accountant for a top national team my eyes would be lighting up at this World Cup. I would be arranging tours, sponsorship deals, promotions etc and be all over them.

Anyway, get romantic you grumpy old man , nothing wrong with a bit of sporting romance.

I look forward to Japan winning the next WC or the one after or the one after that or.............

 

[USER1999]

It is important that Japan does not go the way of Georgia, in showing promise, and then melting away.
However, there are a lot of 2nd tier nations that need to be brought more into the fold. The Pacific Islands, USA, Russia, Georgia, to name a few. It is the job of World Rugby to do this, and I am sure it is not easy to progress this to a new level.
It isn't as simple as just inviting all and sundry into existing tournament set ups, particularly by bringing in relegation.

 

[Foxholer]

Building on the RWC 19 and taking Japan in to the 6 Nations or The Rugby Championship is 2 different discussions.
In my opinion, every host Country is swept along when World events happen, these events should benefit everyone.

I'm not, and wouldn't, propose either of those options!
While I agree about 'benefitting everyone', Japan's performance merits particular 'reward', even considering the benefit being 'host nation' provides.

 

[Foxholer]

I look forward to Japan winning the next WC or the one after or the one after that or.............

Facetiousness/Mickey-take aside, Japan, imo, will 'always' struggle against existing heaviweight nations unless/until they have forwards of similar build to the likes of the 'Big 5' of the game. While the game has progressed remarkably from the muddy slog of the 50s-70s era, it's still about attrition and the last 20 minutes - as demonstrated by South Africa against them!

 

[MegaSteve]

Well as an Englishman I certainly don't want to see Wales in the final!! 😂

But being impartial if I had to pick 2 teams who could really give the All Blacks a run it would be England and South Africa.

If England bring the same defence and physicality to the semi final then it will take something special from the ABs to get past them.

There's the thing... Whilst I believe England have enough in them to ruffle the Kiwi's feathers... The AB's always seem to have "something special" in them 😞 ... Probably be the match of the tourney...

 

[4LEX]

Pub at 8am then! So much for a quiet October

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Pub at 8am then! So much for a quiet October

Captain's Drive out at our place on Saturday. If they were savvy they would delay the comp, it is a shotgun start, do a breakfast special, watch the game then go out to play. However they are not so 9am start it is then . I usually leave my phone in my car but on Saturday it will stay in the bag and I will be taking cheeky looks every few holes.

 

[GB72]

Thing is, Japan did OK but this was with home advantage against underperforming 6 nations teams. Yes, they are in the world top 10 but world rankings in many sports are a bit farcical. Wales and Ireland were not the number 1 teams in the world as their ranking suggested pre world cup.

There is rumour that the Sunwolves may remain in Super Rugby (remembering of course that it was the lack of support from the Japanese RFU that caused their removal) and that is a step in the right direction.

The thing is, none of the Tier 1 nations RFUs are exactly flush with cash. Even in England there have been redundancies and funding cuts. They rely on these big matches to keep the game going in their home nations. Would Japan fill the big stadiums outside of Japan. Maybe next year but after that, unlikely. People do not pay for one sided matches hence the match against Italy being the only 6 nations match that you can get tickets for relatively easily. Would they fill a Stadium in Japan, yes but that means taking the club players out of their teams for an extended period. Don't forget, club rugby does not stop for internationals and players have compulsory rest periods so an additional fixture impacts there. Equally, do we tour there instead of the big southern hemisphere teams. If we start doing that, they are less willing to come here in Autumn and those matches are great for filling the coffers. They will be invited for some matches as most of the 6 nations teams do play 1 tier 2 nation in the Autumn but, again, if that is the case, what happens to the likes to Fiji, Samoa and Tonga who rely on the funding that that match brings.

People talk about them playing southern hemisphere teams. Surely the pacific island teams are ahead of Japan. They have so little funding they struggle to pay players and put a team in the world cup yet have a far deeper rugby heritage. They surely should come first. Fiji and Samoa have put on some great displays against tier 1 teams over the years and could be even stronger if they had the funding to stop their players heading for the All Blacks and Australia.

There does need to be a process for expanding rugby in Tier 2 nations but it should start with club competitions and a tier 2 tournament before looking at integration into tier 1 events. Spreading the game is great and should be applauded but there is not the money in the game to give up lucrative existing matches and there is also a serious dearth of money in many smaller, traditional rugby playing nations. In that way, it can be compared to cricket. Despite the odd star performance in a world cup, it is a difficult and long winded process to be declared as a test playing nation.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Really poor that an ethnic slur like this is allowed on here

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nip

Phil ,go and find a life somewhere else ,

 

[Captainron]

Michael Cejka’s half time rant to his players in the England game is something special.

 

[USER1999]

Could have done with him in the Arsenal dressing room last night.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/50121693

Oh well that’s Englands chance gone - Owens is the ref

 

[GB72]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/50121693

Oh well that’s Englands chance gone - Owens is the ref

As long as he referees a few of New Zealand's favourite infringements then we have a chance