Minnows to get chance to host World Cup

– World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont (right) signalled that more “emerging” rugby nations could be set to host the World Cup as the one-year countdown began yesterday to the 2019 edition in Japan, the first outside the sport’s strongholds.

With exactly 12 months to go before the battle for the Webb Ellis trophy kicks off in Tokyo on September 20, Beaumont also predicted one of the most competitive and unpredictable tournaments yet, tipping free-flowing Fiji as a dark horse team to watch.

“World Rugby will have to have a philosophical debate going for-

Tokyo

ward” over where future World Cups should be held, Beaumont told reporters.

“It’s important that we are commercially successful but we need to have that debate whether the next World Cup following France (in 2023) will go to an emerging country or an established country,” he added.

Beaumont said the decision had been taken to award the World Cup to Japan – far from a traditional rugby stronghold – because of the “huge growth potential” in Asia.

Asian rugby officials aim to get one million more people playing the game and they are nearly 90% of the way to achieving that, he said.

On the pitch, smaller rugby countries are closing the gap with traditional giants New Zealand, Australia, France and the home nations, and Beaumont predicted next year’s tournament would be very tight.

Fiji kick off their campaign on September 21 against Australia, who have endured a torrid time in the Rugby Championship, losing to Argentina last week for the first time on home turf in 35 years.

Beaumont noted that the mighty All Blacks, the World Cup winners in 2011 and 2015, had shown a crack in their armour, losing 36-34 at home last week to South Africa.

“You are seeing England in a bit of a decline, what are they gong to be like? New Zealand lose a game, everyone goes ‘wow’. Argentina are coming back strongly. Ireland and Wales look very strong. South Africa look strong again,” said Beaumont.

“The actual competition itself will be really good, really tight in all the games and it should be an outstanding spectacle to showcase our game.” –