Rugby World Cup general discussion

antipodean

@mariner4life said in Rugby World Cup news:

if it was me trying to "grow" test rugby i would cut the RWC to 16 teams, but make every team bar the hosts and the defending champions qualify.

That way you have a glowing pinnacle of a tournament, and you also force NZ and Aus to play games in Fiji/Tonga/Samoa/Cook Islands etc, and the 6 Nations sides to play in Germany and Poland. Meaningful test matches against tier one one sides at home will do more i reckon than their current ritual slaughter for content every 4 years.

In rugby, more is almost always less. We are not soccer, we will never be soccer. FIFA are expanding the World Cup, because they can (even though i think it's a dumb move). They have a team like Egypt at 35 in the rankings, a nation with a multi-level professional competition, and a national team that boasts the 2nd best striker in the world's biggest league. Rugby has the Czech Republic at 35, who have 5,000 registered players, most of which are kids.

That makes sense until you realise they're addicted to revenue, which means more meaningless fixtures involving the tier one nations.

Crucial

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Rugby World Cup news:

Tonga set to unleash seven world class former tier one internationals at RWC 2023 | Rugbydump

Will be interesting if all of those players' club form translates to the world stage.
I didn't realise that Fifita was doing so well.

With the midfield covered well by Moala and Fekitoa, I wonder if there will be a temptation to use Piutau at 10 and Folau at 15.

Backline of Pulu, Piutau, W Havili, Moala, Fekitoa, Paea, Folau could be exciting.

Pity they are in Pool B as they could do some damage in C or D.
Still they might make Ireland and SA put out stronger sides than they would like to.

Kirwan

@booboo Well that would be the obvious solution, but they made it more complicated in 99. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to pull a rabbit out somehow or rather.

Chris

@taniwharugby

Pickerall unable to be developed, no feel for the game what so ever.

Dan54

@mariner4life said in Rugby World Cup news:

if it was me trying to "grow" test rugby i would cut the RWC to 16 teams, but make every team bar the hosts and the defending champions qualify.

That way you have a glowing pinnacle of a tournament, and you also force NZ and Aus to play games in Fiji/Tonga/Samoa/Cook Islands etc, and the 6 Nations sides to play in Germany and Poland. Meaningful test matches against tier one one sides at home will do more i reckon than their current ritual slaughter for content every 4 years.

In rugby, more is almost always less. We are not soccer, we will never be soccer. FIFA are expanding the World Cup, because they can (even though i think it's a dumb move). They have a team like Egypt at 35 in the rankings, a nation with a multi-level professional competition, and a national team that boasts the 2nd best striker in the world's biggest league. Rugby has the Czech Republic at 35, who have 5,000 registered players, most of which are kids.

Has a lot going for ideas Mariner, but would suggest although maybe see ABs, Wallabies,Boks travel to Tonga, Cook Islands, I suppose Thailand, Sri Lanka etc would have to be included and how many teams could or would want to participate, as all their facilities etc would have a lot of money spent on them. I not convinced ABs/Springboks etc vs Cook Islands/Thailand etc is good for anyone.

Rapido

@Dan54 said in Rugby World Cup news:

Thailand, Sri Lank etc would have to be included

Thailand, Sri Lanka etc already participate in RWC qualifying.

how many teams could or would want to participate

93 participated in 2019 qualifying (forget current one, as covid meant WR had to play God again and eliminate teams without participating)

Dan54

@Rapido said in Rugby World Cup news:

@Dan54 said in Rugby World Cup news:

Thailand, Sri Lank etc would have to be included

Thailand, Sri Lanka etc already participate in RWC qualifying.

how many teams could or would want to participate

93 participated in 2019 qualifying (forget current one, as covid meant WR had to play God again and eliminate teams without participating)

Yep I know that, I was talking about who thw ABs would have to plat. There was discussions of ABs going to places like Cook Islands etc

booboo

@Kirwan said in Rugby World Cup news:

@booboo Well that would be the obvious solution, but they made it more complicated in 99. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to pull a rabbit out somehow or rather.

Did I just get wooshed?

booboo

@Chris said in Rugby World Cup news:

@taniwharugby

Pickerall unable to be developed, no feel for the game what so ever.

My question is: did he play?

Chris

@booboo

Looking at the way he refs I would say no,
But am not 100% on that.
He doesn’t see where the game is flowing
Or have any understanding of the way a game moves.

Kirwan

@booboo you said four pools of five for 20 teams right? In 99, they did five pools of four for 20, and a complicated playoff structure. I would expect them to be that stupid again.

booboo

@Kirwan yeah, recall the weirdness of '99.

But since then ... they've just fucked up the seedlings...

booboo

@Chris pretty much my point.

Doesn't seem to have the grasp of those who have played it and lived it and debated and drunk and drunked and argued it. Seems to know the laws and theory, not the experience.