2023 (expanded) World Cup in South Africa

Rowan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Unco" data-cid="554611" data-time="1453930458">
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It's been over 26 years booboo, it's time to let the 80s go.
 
Agreed on the second bit though. I was trying to think of all the different factors last night but I think you got the most important ones.
 
 
 
I meant adding four teams to the current structure would only add one week.
 
Also, your structure sucks even harder now that you've gone into it. 3 games in 9 days?! What the fuck's the point of even adding 4 new teams if you're going to send them back home a week and half later? On top of that, you'd be getting rid of some fantastic games like Georgia vs Tonga and Romania vs Canada by splitting those teams up into different pools. May as well just say fuck it, get rid of the minnows entirely and start at the sudden-death stage at that point.
 
Oh and I agree with everyone else that comparing Ireland to Samoa or Fiji of all countries is laughable.
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You seem to forget that the first four Rugby World Cups actually featured four team pools and that they were very successful, throwing up plenty of fascinating contests. Things got complicated - and controversial - when the organizers decided to create 5-team pools at the beginning of this century.
 
I didn't compare Ireland to Samoa or Fiji? I simply wanted to know where the line would be drawn on small nation World Cups. Geographically Ireland is half the size of the South Island of NZ. In my view, that would be a massive step backward for a tournament which is growing with every edition. NZ was a minor step backward, and it's time to move on to big and better pastures.

No Quarter

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rowan" data-cid="554626" data-time="1453934104">
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I'm expressing my opinions. That's what forums are for. It's dismissing opinions with silly insults which is haughty. So, no, there's no hypocrisy at all. Personal experience, you say? I've actually been to Ireland. How about you?
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Yeah Pot Hale, have you even been to Ireland?!??! ;)

No Quarter

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rowan" data-cid="554632" data-time="1453934756">
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You seem to forget that the first four Rugby World Cups actually featured four team pools and that they were very successful, throwing up plenty of fascinating contests. Things got complicated - and controversial - when the organizers decided to create 5-team pools at the beginning of this century.
 
I didn't compare Ireland to Samoa or Fiji? I simply wanted to know where the line would be drawn on small nation World Cups. Geographically Ireland is half the size of the South Island of NZ. In my view, that would be a massive step backward for a tournament which is growing with every edition. NZ was a minor step backward, and it's time to move on to big and better pastures.
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The line is drawn on countries that a. do not have the population and b. do not have enough quality stadiums. I thought that would have been obvious. So, Samoa and Fiji have neither the population or enough quality stadiums. Ireland does. Understand?
 
I'd love Ireland to get the RWC, they'd put on a hell of a show and the entire country would embrace it just like NZ in 2011. It would be a big step forward for the tournament.
 
SA... meh.

jegga

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rowan" data-cid="554627" data-time="1453934242">No, the reaction to it was childish. You seem to have a chip on your shoulder about Samoa - as well as South Africa.</blockquote>
 
Sure I do . 
I'm beginning to see a pattern here, you assert something and when you get called on it you flail away with irrelevant nonsense to try and shore up your weak ideas- Samoa , US gun crime, the impossibility of playing running rugby in Ireland etc. 
You still haven't explained why Ireland's size is a disadvantage and SAs is an advantage , can you give us more information about that?

Rowan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="554630" data-time="1453934576">
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No the Samoa comment was haughty and fairly stupid . You're free within reason to post whatever you want, don't pout when others call you on your bullshit though. 
Were the grounds at the last World Cup slush ? Your rationale about the weather just doesn't really hold up, I might have missed it but I don't recall any of the games having weather as bad as the Sa vs France semi in 1995.
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You're comparing one game at the 1995 World Cup to well-established general weather conditions in Ireland and talk about others making stupid comments? You use a tournament in England and Wales to illustrate a point about Irish weather conditions and accuse others of talking out of their arse? I can see that you really, really do not like South Africa.

jegga

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="554633" data-time="1453934788">Yeah Pot Hale, have you even been to Ireland?!??! ;)</blockquote>
 
He's never mentioned visiting Ireland , I wonder why?

Rowan

"You still haven't explained why Ireland's size is a disadvantage and SAs is an advantage , can you give us more information about that? "
 
Basically you'd be staging a 20 or 24-team tournament in two cities backed up by a bunch of towns. Are there enough stadiums? Enough hotels? I seriously doubt it. But in South Africa that would not be a concern at all. It's not a huge country like Australia, where flans would be forced to take domestic flights to follow the games from city to city. In South Africa they could easily bus it. But in Ireland they'd be living on top of each other.

jegga

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rowan" data-cid="554636" data-time="1453935086">You're comparing one game at the 1995 World Cup to well-established general weather conditions in Ireland and talk about others making stupid comments? You use a tournament in England and Wales to illustrate a point about Irish weather conditions and accuse others of talking out of their arse? I can see that you really, really do not like South Africa. </blockquote>
 
There's that attempt at distraction again , pretty sad behaviour IMHO 
Care to explain why a rwc in the Uk can produce running rugby but one in Ireland wouldn't? 
" really really dislike South Africa " ffs, what a joke

Hooroo

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rowan" data-cid="554641" data-time="1453935578">
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"You still haven't explained why Ireland's size is a disadvantage and SAs is an advantage , can you give us more information about that? "
 
Basically you'd be staging a 20 or 24-team tournament in two cities backed up by a bunch of towns. Are there enough stadiums? Enough hotels? I seriously doubt it. But in South Africa that would not be a concern at all. It's not a huge country like Australia, where flans would be forced to take domestic flights to follow the games from city to city. In South Africa they could easily bus it. But in Ireland they'd be living on top of each other.
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And yet lil' ole NZ managed to host a WC.... with less facilities. Was a real hit too

mariner4life

I've got it, the only logical choice is...
 
 
...Russia. First, it's a big country. And it has lots of people. And they have football stadiums. And it's ticks the "grow the game" box. And Russia would be one of the 4 new shit teams.
 
As an added benefit they would pay heaps of money to the IRB delegates, and their team would be alright thanks to state sanctioned doping.
 
 
Of course, not a great tournament for the gays. Or the darker skinned players. But the country is really big.

hydro11

Are those GAA Stadiums good enough to cope? They look a little rustic to me. They would probably need a bit of money spent on them.

jegga

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rowan" data-cid="554641" data-time="1453935578">"You still haven't explained why Ireland's size is a disadvantage and SAs is an advantage , can you give us more information about that? " 
 
Basically you'd be staging a 20 or 24-team tournament in two cities backed up by a bunch of towns. Are there enough stadiums? Enough hotels? I seriously doubt it. But in South Africa that would not be a concern at all. It's not a huge country like Australia, where flans would be forced to take domestic flights to follow the games from city to city. In South Africa they could easily bus it. But in Ireland they'd be living on top of each other.</blockquote>
 
Why are you saying two cities and a bunch of towns when it's already been pointed out that that is not true?

mariner4life

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="554650" data-time="1453936238">
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Why are you saying two cities and a bunch of towns when it's already been pointed out that that is not true?
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look, when you've got a narrative going, changing it just looks weak

jegga

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="554651" data-time="1453936307">look, when you've got a narrative going, changing it just looks weak</blockquote>
 
Of course, I call that " wingerising" or " to wingerise".

Disgusted of TW

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="554614" data-time="1453932378">Is the weather in Ireland really any different to England? The last rwc produced some fantastic running rugby , I can't see why Ireland wouldn't be the same .</blockquote>
 
Inside The Pale, maybe. Out in the fwesht, it can be a very different kettle of fish. Which reminds me, Mrs DoTW and I are about due for our annual "discussion" where I suggest the mother country for summer hols as opposed to her suggestion of, ooh, anywhere but.

MN5

Weather is an irrelevant argument, no one knows when it's gonna piss down, in the SA/France semi of 95 in 'hot, dry' South Africa I genuinely worried that someone might drown at the bottom of a ruck or maul. 
Closer to home I had a lot of free time set aside to watch the cricket today, damn you Hawkes Bay!!!!!!

Rowan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="554643" data-time="1453935640">
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There's that attempt at distraction again , pretty sad behaviour IMHO 
Care to explain why a rwc in the Uk can produce running rugby but one in Ireland wouldn't? 
" really really dislike South Africa " ffs, what a joke
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Sure, just checked the average October weather conditions for London, Dublin and Belfast.
 
In London the average temperature is 13 degrees with 5 hours of sunshine and a 50% chance of rain.
In Dublin the average temperature is 10 degrees with 3 hours of sunshine and a 60% chance of rain.
In Belfast the average temperature is 9 degrees with 2 hours of sunshine and a 74% chance of rain.
 
So it's the idea I have a chip on my shoulder about Ireland which is a joke, clearly.

Hooroo

The weather again? Is that it?
 
OK, we understand, you don't like it wet, I'm not surprised, but that's hardly a reason for this thread.

jegga

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rowan" data-cid="554662" data-time="1453937005">Sure, just checked the average October weather conditions for London, Dublin and Belfast. 
 
In London the average temperature is 13 degrees with 5 hours of sunshine and a 50% chance of rain. 
In Dublin the average temperature is 10 degrees with 3 hours of sunshine and a 60% chance of rain. 
In Belfast the average temperature is 9 degrees with 2 hours of sunshine and a 74% chance of rain. 
 
So it's the idea I have a chip on my shoulder about Ireland which is a joke, clearly.</blockquote>
 
It's not that you have a chip on your shoulder about Ireland it's that you've decided South Africa is the only possible place for the rwc and got your knickers in a twist when it was pointed out your reasons why don't add up. Brining Samoa and Fiji into the discussion adds weight to the idea that you're starting to see holes in your own reasoning if you have to go to those silly lengths as does your post about " two cities and a bunch of towns" . 
Fully understand if you're feeling a bit embarrassed about your earlier posts but feel you've gone too far down the South Africa path to back up now . I would be in your shoes too, I doubt I'd try and divert attention away by saying silly things like " you really really dislike South Africa" . But then again I read your post on the t2 forum and your arguments got torn to pieces there and you started bringing up terrorism in Europe so who knows what sort of tangent you'll go off on next ?

Rowan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="554650" data-time="1453936238">
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Why are you saying two cities and a bunch of towns when it's already been pointed out that that is not true?
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Ireland really only has one large city - Dublin. Belfast is a medium size city of just under half a million. Cork is the only other city with over 100,000, but it's a small city by anyone's standards - even New Zealand's. Beyond that, there are only 3 more municipalities with more than 75,000. Most countries would consider those 'towns.'
 
South Africa has four large cities of over a million (Jo'burg has more people than Ireland), and six more medium size cities of around 400,000 or over. It also has about a dozen additional small cities of over 100,000, and perhaps a dozen more large towns of between 75,000 and 100,000.

The Silver Fern

2023 (expanded) World Cup in South Africa