Your call on the RWC 2011 call

Friday November 18 2005
Have the IRB missed a trick?

Did anybody really expect it? Once South Africa had been ushered out of the running, there was only one choice. "Bring the game to the world" shouted the masses. "Down with the big eight dominance."

And then Dr. Syd Millar revealed New Zealand as the hosts of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and everybody blinked with astonishment. As dark horses go, this was a black one hooved in black slippers, with a black-clothed rider charging towards us on a moonless and cloudy night.

Below is the reaction you have been kind enough to flood our letterbox with, and as you will see, many of you are very unhappy...

Money grabbing chickens! Should have been Japan NZ could barely manage the Lions supporters, Japan very successfully hosted the football world cup. Im sure most supporters would prefer to visit Japan and breathe some life into the sport there.

Jonathan Maguire, Amsterdam.

A very poor choice, small stadiums lack of space ! A missed opportunity and a lack of forward thinking !

Chris, UK.

The IRB is supposed to be encouraging global expansion of the game, instead it takes a massive backward step like this - shutting the door on developing rugby nations and presumably tacitly endorsing more looting of these smaller nations' rugby talent.

Duncan Atherton, UK.

A terrible decision by the IRB!
 
The game simply must grow beyond it's Tri-Nations borders.  I admire the Welsh, South Africans, and New Zealanders for their devotion to their national sport, but c'mon- the whole thing is way too incestuous.  Japan would have been a great market to develop.  Finally, maybe another country could step into that small (and shrinking) pool of teams that can challenge for the Webb Ellis trophy.  For the "World" cup to have any real credibility, the IRB simply must aggressively develop new markets.  Japan has the wealth and the population to legitimately develop the sport and the international profile to seriously grow the game.  What a lost opportunity.  So now, we have all watched as the IRB has turned its back time and again on the Pacific Isalnds- we must now watch as it turns its back on the well-heeled as well.  Oh well, I guess we're going to watch the Tri-Nations teams for another 100 years as they take turns holding the "World" Cup...

Neil Mara, US.

A victory for the blazers, a defeat for world rugby. I doubt if I will live to the sport become a truly global game. Poor support and poor funding for smaller nations will continue to undermine expansion, but I suppose the "big boys" don't really care. The alicadoos will enjoy NZ yet again.
 
Steve, Northwich, UK.

A golden opportunity lost, indeed!!!!!! Poor Japan, poor Asia, poor rugby!!!!!!!! it's a sad day in the history of the game and I'm sure that for 2015 we will go again in England, for a change!!!!!!!

André Bonfils, France.

Nice to see the IRB has no interest in growing the game as a global brand. They just want to keep it an old boys club with any chance of expanding beyond the usual and boring suspects at these pointless "world" cup competitions impossible. Not only will I predict the final eight of the 2007 world cup, but I'll do it for 2011, as well: New Zealand, England, France, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Wales, Ireland. Let's see someone do that with the Football World Cup with any accuracy. Not possible, because football is a truly global game with a level of competition that makes such a prediction months or years ahead of play folly. I predict that the 2015 World Cup of rugby union won't even take place. It'll be like rugby league where the governing body decided it wasn't worth it to stage a rugby league world cup. Why bother when the world really isn't involved? Why not just combine the Tri-nations and the Five Nations (yeah, go ahead and dump Italy and forget Argentina, the IRB isnt interested in growing the game, after all) and have a world championship every two years. Save the rest of us from these perpetual hand jobs.
 
Anthony Frederick, Washington, D.C.

Yet again the boffins at the IRB have shown that their old system of swapping favours for votes still reigns supreme. South Africa admitted before the vote their deal with NZ (you vote for me I'll vote for you) if one should be eliminated in the first round of voting. France promised to give their votes to South Africa if SA supported their 2007 bid. How can anyone ever justify this farce? Japan hosting the cup would have made the game global. And forget 2015. That will yet again be the turn for a Six Nations host (You vote for me and we'll schedule a couple of games in your country). The IRB is a disgrace to the game.

Ross Thompson.

What are the current odds of New Zealand choking on home soil in the semi-final of their own World Cup, I think we should be told.

Tony Doolin, Gloucester, England

The decision in favour of New Zealand is a Travesty. If the IRB really want to expand and develop the game,It should have chosen Japan. A tremendous opportunity has been lost. Once more the IRB is sitting in its "Ivory" tower and sucking up to the old boy network.Shame on you!!!!

Vic Phillips, California.

"Thumbs down! The IRB have clearly put partisan interests above growing rugby. Plus the full-stadium argument is very suspicious: New Zealand has 4 million people and Japan has 120 millions plus a track record of filling sports stadiums at big events. The maths are obvious."

Bruce - Australia?

I cannot understand the stress of the IRB on raising revenue from the World Cup to support the games global growth, which gets the order of priorities the wrong way round. It is promoting the game internationally that is the key goal; money is simply a means to an end. Surely, nothing would promote the games growth more than taking its most important event to a new nation outside the founder unions. You couldnt buy that publicity, and it would mean far more than the rather measly sums distributed to nations such as Argentina and the Pacific Islands from World Cup revenue. The most important thing is for the IRB to be reformed in order that there is equality of treatment for all nations, rather than the ludicrous and undemocratic system of government in which the traditional powers have more votes than whole regions of the globe. The old joke about some being more equal than others comes strongly to mind! Unfortunately, turkeys dont vote for Christmas, and it is rather unlikely that the blinkered bureaucrats who control the IRB will offer any serious changes in order to produce a fair system of government. Rugby seems to have lost a major opportunity to expand and promote itself around the world, beyond its traditional heartland.

Paul Tonks, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Nepotism Gone Mad. When, one wonders, will the rugby fraternity realise that for rugby to grow it has to embrace new nations? Simple maths: 100,000 old fans in a full stadium = no new fans; 75,000 new fans in a nearly full stadium = 75,000 new fans. Ah, yes, but in that situation who gets the back-hander? (Not that I'm suggesting the IRB is an Old Boys club!) I despair.

Jonathan Jarvis, UK

This sucks, how can there be any justification for this decision? If we are trying to make the sport a global concern how can hosting the 2011 cup in New Zealand possibly be explained. Just more inward looking committee men scratching each others backs and not listening to those of us who ultimately finance the game by paying our club subs, attending live games, subscribing to sky, buying the merchandise and providing attractive demographics for the sponsors/advertisers. I really resent being associated with this crass lack of forward thinking.

Mark Burns-Lindow

I support the All Blacks, but I think Japan should have been given the 2011 World Cup. It would have opened a huge new market for the game. Rugby needs to grow outside the traditional countries.

Juha Tamminen, Finland

The old farts have done it again. A bad result for global expansion of rugby union, and a great case for a serious overhaul of the voting system. For a group of people who are charged with steering the world game towards being truly global, theyre not exactly discharging their duties with vision. How could they not consider the success of the soccer world cup in Japan and Korea? At this rate, the world cup will cycle amongst the larger unions ad nauseum. Boring and backwards. Perhaps this debacle wouldnt be occurring if Australia had been patient and managed to include New Zealand in the last world cup.

Matthew D. Hall, Baltimore.

Well done, IRB! Now we know loud and clear that only members of the club need apply to be hosts of the Rugby World Cup.

Also, you have basically made the decision for millions of young kids in Japan (and Asia) as to which sport to take up: soccer, which is a Johnny-come-lately sport in Japan but in which Japan has been supported into making great strides on and off the field, including hosting one of the safest, most profitable and most well-organised sports events in history (Soccer World Cup 2002). Or rugby, which their forefathers have played and supported much longer than soccer, but in which they have just received a huge slap on the face: you may play with us but you are not one of us.

What a lost opportunity. What a blinkered, small-minded, selfish lot you IRB people are. No wonder the IOC wanted nothing to do with rugby when it was time to vote in a new Olympic sport a few months ago.
 
Shah Sahari, Sydney, Australia.

An opportunity lost. Once again, rugby shows itself to be a conservative and narrow-minded organisation. The sport needs to grow and taking it to Japan would have done that, if only in the exposure. I, for one, lament the decision. And I believe it is a decision that those who made it will ultimately regret.
 
Phil Gardner, Adelaide

The decision to give the 2011 RWC to New Zealand could come back to haunt the IRB.  Whilst NZ are playing fantastic rugby their stadia are far from fantastic.  The stadiums in NZ are a combination of low capacity, in the middle of nowhere and poor facilities.  All the blinkered AB fans will be jumping for joy but all the rest of the rugby playing world will be wondering if they'll manage to get tickets to a pool game of Uruguay v Spain (apologies to Uruguay & Spain fans).

The 3rd Lions test this year was a perfect example.  No one new how to get to Eden Park and it's a couple of K's outside the city centre.  The stairs on the terrace I was in just ended with about 20 rows further in front of us.  We had to climb over seats to get to our destination.  Added to this it took 20 mins to get to the gents and back.  Admittedly, the Cake tin in Wellington was a decent ground but the capacity is only 35,000. 

The RWC final will be played at Eden Park which has a capacity of 48,000.  Well that's chuffin' marvellous, virtually no chance of getting a ticket for the normal rugby fan who doesn't have Eden Park membership or loadsa money to spend.

1st class rugby, cattle (or should that be sheep) class stadia and facilities... IRB, what have you done?

Scottie.  Englishman in Oz.

A great opportunity lost to broaden the game and its appeal. New Zealand does not have either the finances or infrastructure for such an event, as was seen during the 2005 Lions tour.  Bad decision and let's hope Japan gets the 2015 allocation as it is in the Northern Hemisphere!

David Hughes

The decision for New Zealand to host the rugby world cup in 2011 is a choice that is significantly detrimental to the rugby community. Credit must be given to the people of New Zealand for the intensity of their love for the game. However, this intensity does not out weigh the overall love for rugby around the world. With the professional game spreading to include players from many nations, one example being Colin Yukes who is a Canadian playing for Agen in France, and players such as Wilkinson becoming international superstars, it is time for the game to spread beyond the limits of the classic rugby powerhouses. The place to which the world cup should be played in 2011 is Japan, this fact can be attributed to both the need to spread the international involvement in the game to better develop Rugby as a sport but also because New Zealand's stadiums are not of the quality or quantity of Japans. It is no wonder that game after game, year after year nations who's rugby programs are developing and desperately need to gain popularity are floundering due to the lack of support from the elite nations of the rugby world. Sure events such as the Churchill Cup in North America are a step in the right direction towards developing the level of Rugby around the world.

Nevertheless, if the World Cup was given to Japan, where a professional league and general love for rugby is present, it would demonstrate that Rugby can be shown at a truly international stage, not just a clique that excludes the majority of Rugby playing nations.

Mike Holowaychuk, Canada

I am an Australian based in Tokyo for the past few years. Japanese people are sports crazy and the cup here would have been a huge success. Why send it back down to NZ? They had their chance to share the cup in 2003 but blew it. There will always be huge support for rugby in NZ, it cant get any bigger, why waste the chance to bring the game to the heart of Asia. Terrible decision, huge loss, and another step backwards for rugby worldwide.

Hugh Spencer

The decision not to award Japan the 2011 world cup is an absolute disgrace. The opportunity to take the game to the most populated continent in the world with an already brewing healthy interest in the game is a disgrace.  At what point does the IRB not recognise that Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, France are not the be all and end all of rugby.

The manner in which the top nations work together on the fixture schedule is merely destroying the game in the 2nd tier nations. Opportunities need to be given to the Pacific Islands, Japan, Korea, Romania, Argentina, Spain etc.

The Tri-Nations and even the Six Nations is becoming so boring it is incredible. All should have division two leagues with promotion and relegation. Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Japan, Korea could all benefit from playing against top nations within a regular schedule. Romania, Spain, Argentina likewise with the opportunity to break into the six nations schedule.

The selfishness from individual nations and the lack of touch with the global game from the IRB and their reluctance and gutless approach to make a stand and push the game like they claim to be trying to do is on the road to destroying what has made them what they are!

This has to be one of the greatest missed opportunities from a major sports body to spread the word of their sport globally. Old farts looking after their own interested and their mates.  You are in power IRB not the nations you govern!

Andrew Chambers, Hong Kong

Some sat on the fence...

I do not like the decision.  Rugby really requires to reach out more globally.  Japan would definitely be able to draw more revenue and let's face it,  apart from England,  they have the largest volume base of players as a nation in nearly 300,000.
 
This was a perfect opportunity for the IRB to reach out to certain nations such as Japan or the USA that could offer a profitable and 'all-round' successful event.  Still,  2nd tier nations have fallen victim (and continue to) by the IRB when they should be more pro-active to their growth.  Based on the last RWC,  the deeply-implanted 2nd tier nations were robbed of simply a level playing field.
 
I am happy for the Kiwis though;  and rugby in New Zealand.  It is far and away above any other nation in terms of benchmarking the evolution of rugby;  especially on an individual development scale.  I suppose I was hoping for a merge between Japan and New Zealand -- it would make perfect sense.
 
Stuart Smith,  Ottawa

As a Kiwi living (and playing rugby) in Japan I have mixed feelings about NZ getting the WC. While I will definitely be heading home for it, I was hoping Japan could hold it. Not just because I live here but because it would definitely be good for the game in Japan and Asia.

I agree that the game needs some serious support in the "lesser" unions, of which Japan is one of few that has the finance and infrastructure to hold such an event.

In discussing the Rugby World Cup with the locals, I realized that sports like Soccer and Lacrosse were not popular at all until major events were held in Japan or in soccer's case, a professional league formed. Women and kids all got behind these sports in a big way and the media helped it happen. (It is a snowball effect here and if the marketing was done well, rugby would benefit hugely!) While Lacrosse's popularity has waned some, soccer is still up there behind baseball as the big sport for kids to play (and adults to watch).

I was hoping that with a World Cup and huge attention on the game here, there would be an IRB follow up to assist Japan in improving the coaching and making the game more fun for the kids here. With the regimented bollocks that the local lads go through at training and on game day, it is amazing that any of them stick to playing through to adulthood.

Anyway, good luck to NZ in holding it. I'll be back for that one!

Murray Clarke, Tokyo

But it did make some of us very happy...

I am stoked.  We got the hosting rights for 2011.  It was our last chance really; were a small country with a big rugby heart but the numbers are just getting too big.

I am also stoked because I have been bombarded with the thoughts of every English rugby journalist, on this site and in the papers, who were shouting for Japan.  What do I care about the thoughts of such self-important rugby experts?  They may be able to analyse a game but that doesnt make them experts on how a tournament in Japan will benefit rugby.  They all professed that if the IRB had balls they would go with where the expansion surely lay.  We all want to see rugby grow, but these opinions were purely hypothetical and based on pure emotion.  A world cup in Japan may not have achieved those much lauded aims of global expansion at all.  Who knows?  It my have ended with a fizz.

Well never know now.  The only opinions that really mattered were the IRB councils, and they have voted for New Zealand.  Lets hope the gentlemen journalists can now get back to writing about something I do enjoy reading their opinions about: the game.  Please keep all political opinions to yourselves in future.  You really had me thinking that New Zealand werent in with a shot.  Im glad to see how wrong you were.

Mike, Kiwi in Dublin

Although it has come to NZ I believe we should try to make it global and Japan next time. However apart from South Africa and NZ what other country would have a live TV link for the result in Dublin!!

To most countries engrossed in soccer it is a non-event. But to Kiwis it is wonderful and we are ecstatic.

An important part is the reception the visitors will get - when they come here they will see that to us it will be the major event of the decade and they will be treated as royalty.

It is a win for RUGBY!!

Wayne Meredith, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

Restores ones faith in rugby. Not only the game for big rich countries. Another 20,000 future all blacks were born today.

Vaughan Otto, New Zealand

This is fantastic news for us (NZ), I personally thought we did nor have a chance as it appears its all out earning as much money as the IRB can. My pick would have been - if we did not get it - then Japan would get it as SA had already hosted & keeping the game global is the catch phrase. The next 6 years are going to be a long wait & I only hope we do the rugby world proud. This is truly amazing, go you good thing.

Terry Ward, Auckland.

I think its fantastic that New Zealand finally gets to host the Rugby World Cup again. We are a rugby nation, we love rugby more than anything else and that passion alone will make it a fantastic World Cup. The All Blacks and New Zealand are a very important part of rugby. We have six years to organise accommodation, transportation and develop our stadiums to an excellent standard, thats a long time and I can assure anyone who doubts our capability that it will be done and done well. So everyone, come down to New Zealand for the 2011 World Cup, it will be the best time ever, New Zealanders are great people, we know our rugby and will enjoy every second. Hopefully the result is the same last time we had the World Cup.

Courtz, Mairangi Bay, New Zealand

The IRB's decision to award New Zealand hosting rights to the 2011 RWC is fair and right.
 
South Africa would have done another great job, there is no question of that. But they have already been a sole host, and have done so fairly recently.
 
It's a shame that Japan got passed over. They did a good job co-hosting the soccer World Cup, and the idea that the tournament there would promote the game internationally was appealing. But Japan's bid was full of holes. To say that success in a soccer WC will be duplicated to rugby -- a sport with a fraction of the national imprint in Japan that soccer does -- is simply wishful thinking. If Japan is really serious about hosting the world's premier rugby tournament, then surely it behooves them to demonstrate that they can host other rugby matters first, like an international tour. If they can invite big international sides to Tokyo and Osaka and pack the stadia, great, they've shown they can support rugby. But so far they have not demonstrated anything, certainly nothing of the order that NZ and SA have shown for the better part of a century. We know Japan loves baseball, soccer and sumo wrestling, but rugby is a sideshow and afterthought there.
 
So it goes to New Zealand, a nation where rugby is a religion, where the game means something. When a Kiwi father takes his son to a World Cup, it means much more than any Japanese person would ever be capable of understanding. To say that Japan understands rugby as well as Kiwis is to say Kiwis know as much about Shinto and Zen as do the Japanese. NZ has never been sole host. Their bid showed more passion, they assembled a better team, and they fully deserve the host rights. Now it's simply a question whether other teams will want to travel there, because NZ at home looks formidable any year.
 
Dave, Canada

Giving the Rugby world cup to New Zealand is fantastic for the world game. Those who participated in the Lions Tour will know what a fantastic atmosphere New Zealand can provide. Every visitor will leave with a wonderful memory and enthusiasm for Rugby to take back to their own countries and spread the passion for our wonderful game. This is because New Zealanders love for rugby is infectious.  A whole country will be behind 2011, go New Zealand!

Colin Knox, New Zealand.

Firstly fantastic, I believe Japan could have done a wonderful show, pouring in more money than our nation GDP, but as shown with the Lions Tour our whole nation will get behind this event.  It will be a long party with tourist welcomed in every town and city in a united belief in enjoying Rugby.  Its also great that we (NZ) have got it because it will most likely be the last time the opportunity that we, as one of a few great rugby nations, will ever get to hold this event.

Also it will be fantastic for us to defend our title after winning in France and be able to win two world cups in a row (prediction).

Michael Manttan, New Zealand

As a Kiwi living in Sydney, it was wonderful to wake up this morning, to hear the news that the NZRFU team had been successful in their bid to host the 2011 RWC. My congratulations must go to the whole New Zealand delegation who were successful, particularly Jock Hobbs who has once again come to the rescue of New Zealand's rugby loving public (following his involvement in the move to professionalism 10 years ago). I don't necessarily agree with the comments from many people (including our dear and loyal friends, the Australian Rugby Union) that the decision to award the event to New Zealand is a set back to the development of World Rugby. I remember FIFA explaining their decision to award the 1994 World Cup Soccer Finals to the USA, was made in order to develop the game in the States. More than 10 years on, and the sport of soccer has hardly made the impact in America that FIFA had hoped. I believe that until the Japanese Rugby Union initiates its own plan to develop the game over there, and without relying on the input of foreign players like they currently do, then they would need more than the benefits of hosting the Rugby World Cup, to sustain a long term development and public interest in the sport over there. Their time will come, but for now, I'm delighted that the majority of the World's rugby power brokers (excluding Australia), have rewarded New Zealand, for the continued fanaticism which the New Zealand public holds for the game of rugby.

Calum McMillan, Sydney

There can be no doubt that NZ will host a magnificent RWC. And calm reflection will reveal the NZs bid was easily the most sensible option. Although SA could have hosted another fantastic RWC, it is likely that their sponsorship dollar would be stretched too thin to provide the revenue that the IRB requires. As for Japan well, as a person who lives and plays his rugby in Japan, I know (and the officials and rugby writers here, if they are honest, will know) that even by 2011 Japan is simply not ready for a RWC. Stadiums would be empty and the costs to tourists would be prohibitive. Sad but true.

Justin Lindsay, Kobe, Japan