RugbyRebels

Really annoyed and baffled by this. Clearly the Japan Scotland game is the most important one as it is the only one that realistically (sorry Italy) will affect who goes through to the quarters, but even if it is just the two games cancelled this looks inept to me.

They are just squeeling safety but, unless it is dangerous there now and there is nowhere safe within 10 hours travel, this is nonsense as:

1. They don't need to let fans come - fans with tickets will be gutted but they will be no less gutted just because they are sitting in a hotel room with nothing on TV than if they could watch the games.

2. A safe pitch and some match officials is all you need for a game of rugby - there are all sorts of things that are ideal (e.g. decent tv coverage and a TMO) but doing without them is infinitely fairer than not playing at all.

Frankly, they could put all the games back to back wherever Ireland are playing Samoa. The pitch might cut up and Scotland would get even less rest but that's life.

If hundreds of club volunteers can organise matches at the last minute all round the country with no budget then with some willing so can WR. Rugby exists without all the faff around it

* I'm not saying that the typhoon itself isn't very serious and much more important than any sport. It's just perfectly possible to play these games without having any impact on the risks to anyone else from the typhoon

Yup. That's regressed the RWC in Japan from looking like a 10/10 tournament to a 1 for me. Where the fuck were the contingency plans? The pro activity?
England France would have and should have been a fantastic spectacle & billed as one of of the big games. Now both progress to the QFs with an extra rest and advantage over their opponents.

SRU spokesman:

"Scottish Rugby fully expects contingency plans to be put in place to enable Scotland to contest for a place in the quarter-finals on the pitch, and will be flexible to accommodate this."

Why do we get a contingency plan but England/France don't ? Or are there in fact no contingency plans and SRU are setting up WR for a shitstorm.

I suspect that there is a bit of “all or nothing” to it. Contracts with sponsors, ground owners, broadcasters etc will have force majuer/Act of God clauses that kick in if the game has to be cancelled. If there is some suggestion that the game could go on but not in a properly “dressed” stadium or not broadcast or not generating gate revenue then a legal claim could follow.

Lizard wrote:I suspect that there is a bit of “all or nothing” to it. Contracts with sponsors, ground owners, broadcasters etc will have force majuer/Act of God clauses that kick in if the game has to be cancelled. If there is some suggestion that the game could go on but not in a properly “dressed” stadium or not broadcast or not generating gate revenue then a legal claim could follow.

That's my suspicion too but how big could the claim really be? WR's number one priority is surely (within he bounds of safety) to run the world cup with all the teams playing all their matches in as fair a way as possible.

They have failed by cancelling the two games and they will be catastrophically failing if they cancel the Scotland Japan game.

And yes, I would be saying the same thing if I was Japanese (just as most Scots were happy enough for Japan to beat Samoa - if we go through I want us to have earnt it)

Liz - is the cancellation unprecedented in RWC history?

Oh wow. I didn't realise NZ-Italy was cancelled too. What an absolute shitshow.

I have a horrible feeling we’re goosed. If the storm hits at the location and timing suggested then whilst it may have blown through by Sunday, transport networks could be stuffed and infrastructure damaged. I’m surprised there is not more effort being made to switch stadiums, even if logistically difficult. There may be financial issues behind this - would insurance pay out if match is still played/delayed?

Still, we’re on for a glorious moral victory.

The wooden spoon decider with Italy next year would effectively be the alternative World Cup final

What an absolute clusterfwck this WC is turning out to be. The ScoJap game really is unlikely to go ahead and they look unable to offer alternatives to just cancelling the games.

I feel sorry for the fans who have travelled as they are unlikely to get any compensation for missed games etc.

So you now have 3 teams in the QFs with an unfair advantage and potentially halting the competition in Pool A causing a fairly big controversy.

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:Liz - is the cancellation unprecedented in RWC history?

Yes, but not in test history.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/a ... d=12275438

But apparently the All Blacks are the biggest losers from the Typhoon turmoil according to Gregor Paul

He’s been away from his homeland too long.

sharvey44 wrote:What an absolute clusterfwck this WC is turning out to be. The ScoJap game really is unlikely to go ahead and they look unable to offer alternatives to just cancelling the games.

I feel sorry for the fans who have travelled as they are unlikely to get any compensation for missed games etc.

So you now have 3 teams in the QFs with an unfair advantage and potentially halting the competition in Pool A causing a fairly big controversy.

I would be surprised if the Scotland-Japan game was called off. The only games to be cancelled ao far are ones that would have a minimal impact on quarter final places and I would rather they put their contingency efforts into saving the games that make a difference.

Puja

Cameo wrote:The wooden spoon decider with Italy next year would effectively be the alternative World Cup final

And the marketing effort has started

Puja wrote:

sharvey44 wrote:What an absolute clusterfwck this WC is turning out to be. The ScoJap game really is unlikely to go ahead and they look unable to offer alternatives to just cancelling the games.

I feel sorry for the fans who have travelled as they are unlikely to get any compensation for missed games etc.

So you now have 3 teams in the QFs with an unfair advantage and potentially halting the competition in Pool A causing a fairly big controversy.

I would be surprised if the Scotland-Japan game was called off. The only games to be cancelled ao far are ones that would have a minimal impact on quarter final places and I would rather they put their contingency efforts into saving the games that make a difference.

Puja

I agree but you but who are you or I or anyone else to decide that? Italy deserve their last ditch chance against all odds to topple the ABs & France deserve their opportunity to top the table.

Both would have been fantastic spectacles on paper as well for both those watching in the flesh & on TV. This is an unmitigated disaster however that moron Gilpin wants to play it.

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:

Puja wrote:

sharvey44 wrote:What an absolute clusterfwck this WC is turning out to be. The ScoJap game really is unlikely to go ahead and they look unable to offer alternatives to just cancelling the games.

I feel sorry for the fans who have travelled as they are unlikely to get any compensation for missed games etc.

So you now have 3 teams in the QFs with an unfair advantage and potentially halting the competition in Pool A causing a fairly big controversy.

I would be surprised if the Scotland-Japan game was called off. The only games to be cancelled ao far are ones that would have a minimal impact on quarter final places and I would rather they put their contingency efforts into saving the games that make a difference.

Puja

I agree but you but who are you or I or anyone else to decide that? Italy deserve their last ditch chance against all odds to topple the ABs & France deserve their opportunity to top the table.

Both would have been fantastic spectacles on paper as well for both those watching in the flesh & on TV. This is an unmitigated disaster however that moron Gilpin wants to play it.

the fact that Japan has no finacial interest in the game going ahead, they can redirect all resources and clean up away and declare that the stadium is unplayable,

As i have said somewhere else WR will have very little option except to open a chequebook and write some nice cheques to both Scotland and Italy so they dont publically shit on WR for the next 4 years


Some interesting pub quiz question

name the only team in RWC history who niled three teams and still didnt qualify for the RWC

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:

Puja wrote:

sharvey44 wrote:What an absolute clusterfwck this WC is turning out to be. The ScoJap game really is unlikely to go ahead and they look unable to offer alternatives to just cancelling the games.

I feel sorry for the fans who have travelled as they are unlikely to get any compensation for missed games etc.

So you now have 3 teams in the QFs with an unfair advantage and potentially halting the competition in Pool A causing a fairly big controversy.

I would be surprised if the Scotland-Japan game was called off. The only games to be cancelled ao far are ones that would have a minimal impact on quarter final places and I would rather they put their contingency efforts into saving the games that make a difference.

Puja

I agree but you but who are you or I or anyone else to decide that? Italy deserve their last ditch chance against all odds to topple the ABs & France deserve their opportunity to top the table.

Both would have been fantastic spectacles on paper as well for both those watching in the flesh & on TV. This is an unmitigated disaster however that moron Gilpin wants to play it.

I agree that I'd rather have had the games played, but I think you are underestimating the problem that a typhoon this massive causes. This is the kind of storm where they ask for how many dead afterwards, rather than whether you could play your game of rugby.

There could be a reschedule to another day, but I suspect WR are keeping their contingency plans powder dry so they can reschedule the Scotland vs Japan game if necessary, rather than blow it on moving NZ vs Italy and end up with nothing in reserve if needed.

Puja

Thinking out loud, even if it isn't cancelled, the disruption to Scotland's mind set pre-Japan due to all this press drama over the weather and iffy referee calls, turnaround times and the likes will be nice for the hosts......I cant help feeling this is being hyped (for Sunday, not Saturday).


CONSPIRACY!


Seriously, hop on a train/plane and play it down the other end of the country, its not rocket science. To be knocked out by the weather in favour of a team that has never beaten us is a kick in the lid.

AL. wrote:Thinking out loud, even if it isn't cancelled, the disruption to Scotland's mind set pre-Japan due to all this press drama over the weather and iffy referee calls, turnaround times and the likes will be nice for the hosts......I cant help feeling this is being hyped (for Sunday, not Saturday).


CONSPIRACY!


Seriously, hop on a train/plane and play it down the other end of the country, its not rocket science. To be knocked out by the weather in favour of a team that has never beaten us is a kick in the lid.

The problem is the storm is very difficult to track accurately and is also fucking huge, it could land anywhere on Japan.

Numbers wrote:

AL. wrote:Thinking out loud, even if it isn't cancelled, the disruption to Scotland's mind set pre-Japan due to all this press drama over the weather and iffy referee calls, turnaround times and the likes will be nice for the hosts......I cant help feeling this is being hyped (for Sunday, not Saturday).


CONSPIRACY!


Seriously, hop on a train/plane and play it down the other end of the country, its not rocket science. To be knocked out by the weather in favour of a team that has never beaten us is a kick in the lid.

The problem is the storm is very difficult to track accurately and is also fucking huge, it could land anywhere on Japan.

That's still on World Rugby though. They'd have looked into the weather at this time of year YEARS ago and realised there was a risk and put contingency measures in place such as movement of games or indoor stadia without spectators, etc. Apparently not.

And if they're worried about the integrity of the tournament they could have switched dead rubber games around. Why do Wales need to play Uruguay or Canada play Namibia?

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:And if they're worried about the integrity of the tournament they could have switched dead rubber games around. Why do Wales need to play Uruguay or Canada play Namibia?

Pride in the case of Canada v Namibia and not having the relentless pressure applied by Tier One sides I guess.

Uruguay will provide the Wales reserve reserves a chance to say they played in a World Cup.

In retrospect - if games are going to be cancelled in Japan because of a typhoon, which is reasonably predictable in typhoon season, then the RWC never should have been awarded to this country in the first place. This is just not fair to competing nations. Organizers must have an obligation to see that every scheduled game is played, by hook or by crook, even if involves moving the venue (even to another country for a one-off game) or delaying the match as long as necessary to get it played, with a subsequent shortened rest period.
If the Scotland game should be cancelled too, the fans will go ballistic, and rightly so, since two points each will hand the group to Japan.