RWC - IRB and NZ organisation/ management

[gladiator]

why is it that the 2nd tier nations get four day's turn around , while 1st tier nations get 7 to 8 day's between rwc games ?

 

[Lee Grant]

Have changed the name of your thread to get a few more things in it.

I wrote about this in one of Pool threads. It is always like this in order to have midweek games and probably always will be. All the lesser rugby countries know they will have short turnarounds and perhaps mixed with a long turnaround. It would be fairer to have every game between Friday and Sunday but that would extend the period of the RWC too long.

There are similar complaints about the Football World Cup.

In my experience on rugby forums people have complained about it since the 1999 RWC and they will still be talking about it for a few more to come.

More sensible than complaining about it is to suggest an alternative schedule, game by game, but paying heed to the fact that people world wide, and hence advertisers who help to pay for the RWC, want to have the big games on the weekend.

 

[Ruggo]

Don't know but I don't like it. There will be some smashings in the last few games due to fatigue and lack of depth. I would rather see the heavyweights get the short turn arounds as they can cope better with their depth. A larger break heading into the finals would also benifet them and the rugby as niggling injuries can be managed during that break.

Fantastic standard from the minnows so far but they won't be able to sustain it.

With the standard so far it is also pushing a good case for a plate competition to run under the finals of the cup.

 

[Ruggo]

Have changed the name of your thread to get a few more things in it.

I wrote about this in one of Pool threads. It is always like this in order to have midweek games and probably always will be. All the lesser rugby countries know they will have short turnarounds and perhaps mixed with a long turnaround. It would be fairer to have every game between Friday and Sunday but that would extend the period of the RWC too long.

There are similar complaints about the Football World Cup.

In my experience on rugby forums people have complained about it since the 1999 RWC and they will still be talking about it for a few more to come.

More sensible than complaining about it is to suggest an alternative schedule, game by game, but paying heed to the fact that people world wide, and hence advertisers who help to pay for the RWC, want to have the big games on the weekend.

Lee, does the IRB finance the attendance of the minnow nations at the cup? If not it might also be a plausable explanation for the close games as the poorer nations cannot afford to be there for an extended period.

 

[Hawko]

Don't know but I don't like it. There will be some smashings in the last few games due to fatigue and lack of depth. I would rather see the heavyweights get the short turn arounds as they can cope better with their depth. A larger break heading into the finals would also benifet them and the rugby as niggling injuries can be managed during that break.

Fantastic standard from the minnows so far but they won't be able to sustain it.

With the standard so far it is also pushing a good case for a plate competition to run under the finals of the cup.

One of the things I love about sevens is the plate, bowl and shield(?) finals. It adds immensely to the competition. I reckon a knockout for the losing quarterfinalists for the plate and a knockout for the rest for the bowl would add immensely to Cup interest in the last few weeks and would help to establish the world pecking order.

 

[whatty]

Not rocket science its all about TV ratings and what is the best way to maximize a return on investment.

AB game Tuesday night yea right??

 

[Dan54]

Yep, unfortunately the TV pays the big money , and they will tell you all the big teams need to be on weekend or they won't pay as much, I don't think it right but it fact of life in professional sport.

 

[Lee Enfield]

But it seems the All Blacks got the sweetest draw of all. 7 day turn around against Japan, 8 Day turn around against France and 8 day turn around against Canada. England, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, France and Wales all have at least one 6 day turn around, in the case of the Wallabies they have two 6 day turn arounds.

 

[kiap]

But it seems the All Blacks got the sweetest draw of all. 7 day turn around against Japan, 8 Day turn around against France and 8 day turn around against Canada. England, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, France and Wales all have at least one 6 day turn around, in the case of the Wallabies they have two 6 day turn arounds.

NZL: Fri-Fri-Sat-Sun
(TGA)- 7 -(JPN)- 8 -(FRA)- 8 -(CAN)

ARG: Sat-Sat-Sun-Sun
(ENG)- 7 -(ROM)- 8 -(SCO)- 7 -(GEO)

AUS: Sun-Sat-Fri-Sun
(ITA)- 6 -(IRE)- 6 -(USA)- 8 -(RUS)

SAF: Sun-Sat-Thu-Fri
(WAL)- 6 -(FIJ)- 6 -(NAM)- 8 -(SAM)

FRA: Sat-Sun-Sat-Sat
(JPN)- 8 -(CAN)- 6 -(NZL)- 6 -(TGA)

ENG: Sat-Sun-Sat-Sat
(ARG)- 8 -(GEO)- 6 -(ROM)- 7 -(SCO)

IRE: Sun-Sat-Sun-Sun
(USA)- 6 -(AUS)- 8 -(RUS)- 7 -(ITA)

WAL: Sun-Sun-Mon-Sun
(SAF)- 7 -(SAM)- 8 -(NAM)- 6 -(FIJ)

TGA: Fri-Wed-Wed-Sat
(NZL)- 5 -(CAN)- 7 -(JPN)- 10 -(FRA)

SCO: Sat-Wed-Sun-Sat
(ROM)- 4 -(GEO)- 11 -(ARG)- 6 -(ENG)

ITA: Sun-Tue-Tue-Sun
(AUS)- 9 -(RUS)- 7 -(USA)- 5 -(IRE) 

SAM: Wed-Sun-Sun-Fri
(NAM)- 5 -(WAL)- 7 -(FIJ)- 5 -(SAF)

Samoa get two 5 day turnarounds.

 

[Slim 293]

I think Australia have a good consistent turnaround...

I'd prefer that than what some teams have like Scotland who have a 4 day break followed by an 11 day turnaround...

 

[Shiggins]

Top tier nations play when most people will be watching. Eg weekend. That makes sense to me. So unfortunately if a top tier team plays a minow on the weekend and then the same minow plays another minnow it has to be during the week


Go the force!!!!

 

[kiap]

Top tier nations play when most people will be watching. Eg weekend. That makes sense to me. So unfortunately if a top tier team plays a minow on the weekend and then the same minow plays another minnow it has to be during the week

It only comes about because there are 5 teams per group (4 can play on a weekend but 1 misses out).

If you had five groups of 4 instead of four groups of 5 then the problem would go away (Winner of each group goes though with the three best runners up).

 

[Lindommer]

It only comes about because there are 5 teams per group (4 can play on a weekend but 1 misses out). If you had five groups of 4 instead of four groups of 5 then the problem would go away (winner of each group goes though with the three best runners up).

That was tried at an earlier RWC (1991?) and most rugby people didn't like it. Judging who the "best three runners-up" were was a bloody mess: it came down to weaker/stronger groups and it was decided to have the winners and runners-up from four groups as the finalists for future RWCs.

The solution to the short turnaround time is for all countries to make maximum use of their 30 man squads.

 

[kiap]

That was tried at an earlier RWC (1991?) and most rugby people didn't like it. Judging who the "best three runners-up" were was a bloody mess: it came down to weaker/stronger groups and it was decided to have the winners and runners-up from four groups as the finalists for future RWCs.

The solution to the short turnaround time is for all countries to make maximum use of their 30 man squads.

It's not all countries affected, though. Only the minnows.

They had the 5 groups in 1999, with three play-off games to decide which teams joined the group winners in the quarters. Quite liked it personally, and it didn't do Australia any harm!