Scots threaten legal action to ensure decider is played
Fury over refusal to move crucial game with Japan Tears as typhoon threat ends Italy’s tournament
A furious row has broken out in Japan, where Scottish rugby chiefs have notified the game’s governing body that they will take legal action and do “whatever it takes” to ensure that Scotland’s crucial final World Cup pool game against Japan is played.
The move comes as the tournament was thrown into disarray after England’s match against France in Yokohama, and New Zealand’s clash with Italy in Toyota, were called off – with Italy captain Sergio Parisse accusing World Rugby of double standards – because of the impending landfall of Typhoon Hagibis. The games, due to be played tomorrow, were the first cancellations in the 32-year history of the competition.
World Rugby insisted that a desire to be fair and consistent with all teams underpinned its decision to invoke its pre-tournament ruling that any pool match threatened by weather had to be cancelled, rather than rearranged for another day. It was well advanced with plans to shift England and France to the southern venue of Oita, but did an about-turn on the realisation that it could not manage the logistics of potentially moving three other matches when some venues were no longer available.
Each team were awarded two points for a scoreless draw. England and France were already through to the quarter-finals. It was mathematically possible for Italy to qualify, and there was anger over the way the news was broken to them – an email one minute before their press conference was due to begin.
Scotland’s match with Japan in Yokohama on Sunday is crucial. Gregor Townsend’s men need to win by seven points or deny the hosts a losing bonus point to go through at their expense. Hagibis may have passed by then, but there could be substantial damage in its wake. A decision on whether the match goes ahead will be made on Sunday at 5.45am BST, just six hours before kick-off.
The Scots are livid that World Rugby is refusing to delay matches or move them, particularly when there is a gap of at least six days until the quarter-finals. Their legal advice is that, under tournament rules, there is flexibility to adjust the schedule in cases of force majeure, and that the arrival of Typhoon Hagibis qualifies as such.
At a series of lengthy and badtempered meetings, which lasted for most of yesterday and ended late last night, Mark Dodson, Scottish Rugby’s chief executive – who was described by one insider as being “in a state of apoplexy” – and Dominic Mckay, chief operating officer, were fighting to ensure that the final pool game went ahead. The Scots’ preferred outcome is to move the game back by 24 hours. If the game is cancelled, Scotland will almost certainly be eliminated.
That outcome moved a step nearer when Italy’s match against New Zealand was cancelled without any prior warning. Conor O’shea, the Italy coach, and Parisse were in Tokyo waiting to announce their team to play the All Blacks at 1pm when they received an email at 12.59pm of the draft press release announcing the game had been cancelled. A senior source in the Scotland squad who spoke to the Italians said the team management were “utterly heartbroken”.
Insiders claim that the match between New Zealand and Italy could have been postponed until Monday, but that the All Blacks were not willing to consider a turnaround of just five days between their final pool game and their quarter-final, due to be played tomorrow week. The reigning world champions were accused of using their influence to ensure the cancellation.
Alan Gilpin, the tournament director, is now insisting a precedent has been set and that a “one size fits all” approach is the only fair way to proceed. Describing the situation as “shambolic” and “embarrassing”, a senior spokesman for Scottish Rugby said that World Rugby’s handling of the affair had been disgracefully poor and that unless it adhered to its own tournament regulations, they would have no choice but to take immediate legal action.
“We’re willing to do whatever it takes to get this game on,” the spokesman said. “There are 10,000 Scotland supporters here to see their team play, and for the integrity of the sport and this tournament, we’ve got to find a way to deliver on our undertaking to stage this game.
“World Rugby said three or four months ago that they had contingency plans to address any challenges that might occur, and we took them at their word. We now expect them to deploy those contingency plans and ensure this match goes ahead. The fans, players and everyone who loves rugby will demand nothing less. The whole situation is almost beyond belief.”
It was the sight of Italian hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini, breaking down in tears after training in Toyota as he was told that he would be denied his last appearance for his country, that encapsulated the sadness, confusion and anger that followed the unprecedented decision.
Parisse, whose international career after 143 caps has ended with a whimper, said: “If New Zealand needed four or five points against us, it would not have been cancelled. It is ridiculous that there was no Plan B because it isn’t news that typhoons hit Japan.”
England left Tokyo within three hours of the decision and headed to Miyazaki, where they had spent 10 warm-weather days getting ready for the tournament. They are set to face Australia in the quarter-finals.
There will be significant financial fallout for organisers from losing two matches, with £30million of business through ticket sales and commercial deals in place. Compensation will also be due to broadcasters.
While the tournament has drawn widespread praise, there is a sense that the contingency planning was neither robust nor flexible enough.
Gilpin said: “We do not believe the integrity of the quarter-finals had been undermined. We have no regrets about bringing the World Cup to Japan. The last few weeks have shown that the decision has been vindicated. There were always going to be risks.”