Rugby World Cup general discussion
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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.
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It is about the top 24. That means adding the likes of Canada USA and Spain with Russia Hong Kong Kenya and Brazil battling for a spot. Without the Rwc incentive these countries will continue to fester. They are leagues ahead of Czechs and not far below Namibia Chile etc.
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I think this whooshed past everyone
"The possibility of holding the event between June to September is being explored..."
Grow up
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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.
Or kiwis living in Czech Republic who join their local rugby club
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Or kiwis living in Czech Republic who join their local rugby club
@Billy-Tell the language has many crossovers with Polish eh.
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I think 24 is too many, but if they could a find a simple format for 20 that would help grow the game and reward a better international standard.
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one assumes that 24 teams means 6 pools of four. With 6 pool winners and two best runner-ups going through.
Which will make the pool stages even more irrelevant, and see the minnows cop harder poundings as the lower ranked sides try and get their points diff up as high as possible.
@mariner4life said in Rugby World Cup news:
one assumes that 24 teams means 6 pools of four. With 6 pool winners and two best runner-ups going through.
Which will make the pool stages even more irrelevant, and see the minnows cop harder poundings as the lower ranked sides try and get their points diff up as high as possible.
From the article:
six groups of four teams, with all group winners and runners-up progressing, along with the three best third-place teams.
Not sure I trust either their maths ...
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@mariner4life said in Rugby World Cup news:
one assumes that 24 teams means 6 pools of four. With 6 pool winners and two best runner-ups going through.
Which will make the pool stages even more irrelevant, and see the minnows cop harder poundings as the lower ranked sides try and get their points diff up as high as possible.
From the article:
six groups of four teams, with all group winners and runners-up progressing, along with the three best third-place teams.
Not sure I trust either their maths ...
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@Stargazer It's not difficult to understand why rugby is in a poor position when the best refereeing pool includes Paul Williams, Wayne Gardner and Nic Berry.
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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.
@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.
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in Rugby World Cup news:
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 said in Rugby World Cup news:
I think 24 is too many, but if they could a find a simple format for 20 that would help grow the game and reward a better international standard.
Like 4 pools of 5?
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@booboo well Pickerill gets to go too, so yeah...
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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.
@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.
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@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.
@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)
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@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)
@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
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@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.
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Pickerall unable to be developed, no feel for the game what so ever.
@Chris said in Rugby World Cup news:
Pickerall unable to be developed, no feel for the game what so ever.
My question is: did he play?
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@Chris said in Rugby World Cup news:
Pickerall unable to be developed, no feel for the game what so ever.
My question is: did he play?
