Rugby tours seem likely to be called off
CAPE TOWN: The fate of planned midyear rugby union internationals, including a homecoming game for World Cup winner South Africa, will be decided this month, officials in several countries said yesterday, but the indications are they will be called off.
Discussions on scheduled tours by France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales to the southern hemisphere in July, and England’s trip to Japan at the same time, were held when World Rugby’s executive committee met by video conference.
But any decision on the fate of the tours was left until later in
April, several sources told
Reuters.
World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, has not issued any statement on the meeting, but its chief executive Brett Gosper earlier this week said the tours were unlikely to go ahead.
‘‘The problem is that no union wants to make the decision to cancel its tour, not least because there are, among other things, insurance contract implications,’’ he told the French daily L’Equipe.
‘‘Participants are waiting for government decisions and directives. That said, all unions, from the north as well as from the south, know that it is unlikely that these tours will take place.’’
The Springboks are due to play Scotland in Cape Town on July 4 in their first game since November’s World Cup victory, followed by another test against the Scots one week later and then a fixture with Georgia.
England and Wales are scheduled to tour Japan, with Wales then going on to face two tests in New Zealand.
Scotland is due to travel to New Zealand after its two tests in South Africa, while Ireland had two internationals in Australia and Italy was to visit Argentina after their hosts had played France in two July tests.
Officials said the executive committee had taken note of the financial implications for the host unions and raised possible alternative plans, but held off on any firm decisions.
Bernard Laporte, the French Rugby Federation president who sits on the executive, had previously suggested tours scheduled for July could be moved to November.
But this is unlikely to be given the financial boost that Australia, New Zealand and South Africa also derive from their endofyear visits to the northern hemisphere, officials added.
South Africa has lined up four tests in Europe in November, while the All Blacks will face England at Twickenham on November 7 in a match that is usually a lucrative sellout.
Australia, which has laid off staff and cut pay as it warns of an impending financial crisis brought on by the effects of the pandemic shutdown, is scheduled to play Ireland, France, Italy and England in November. — Reuters