The World Cup?

Question

The world cup is talked about constantly for two years prior to it, and a year after it - it is all about "the hangover from the world cup"..

So now that Rugby is made irrelevant - apart from five weeks a year (or 1 week if your scottish....joke) when the World Cup is staged..does anyone think that what is a knockout competition - staged every 4 years... is the best thing - that rugby can do for itself?

Are there any rugby supporters that think this circus - has just gotten out of hand and has been given way too much importance - and are you fed up of it already and do you think all the developement teams that are being fielded under the justification of "preparation for the world cup" eighteen months before it ..are turning supporters off rugby - by the second class show that is being produced for about three years out of four?

Answer 1

The need for a competition which highlights the best international rugby team is just as valid today as it's always been. However the current 4-yearly knockout competition does not always fill the bill in that regard. The loss of one solitary game during the Cup comp can see the elimination of arguably the best team around, judging by consistent results elsewhere.

England well deserved the 2003 title judging by their recent past results at that time, but their abysimal performances versus certain southern hemisphere teams since has left a question in my mind as to their rights to claim the title of world champions. Also, before they are celebrated as the top rugby team, let them win the odd 6-Nations occasionally.

If the world's champion rugby team was somehow judged on consistent results I don't need to tell you which one it would be. And the English team would definitely not  figure in the top three, nor even the top five. France and/or Ireland might make it into the top five, but I, for one, would like to see the northern hemisphere sides play all their internationals with top level players, not the second or third choice players who wound up in the teams touring south this year. And now we've got South Africa doing the same thing (in the 3Nations).

By all means have a world knock-out series every four years to give the winner boasting rights for a short while, but don't allow it to be the be all and end all. Move the 'champion' emphasis to a system which shows up the consistency (or lack of it) on an every day basis. The IRB rankings list in my humble opinion is currently the best system for deciding which teams are championship material and which are decidedly not!  If we used this, rather than the World Cup as our true measuring stick then it would solve many of the problems associated with the World cup obsession, and international teams going on tour would leave their best players at home at their peril!

Answer 2

No, you could argue that about the soccer world cup too.I can't wait for it to start.

Answer 3

Definitely not.  The RWC allows for the rugby world to see nations pitted against each other.  Given the recently development of half-strength squads going on tours, it allows us to see what happens when the big guns have at each other.  I do agree however, that the way the money is divided is a bit unfair, given that the larger rugby nations get the lions share of money, and the developing nations, aka the ones that need the funding get nominal shares.  In regards to the comment on development squads weakening support of rugby, look at Francois Steyn as an example, he made the fall  bok squad as a development player, and has since been a godsend to the otherwise hapless springboks.

Answer 4

The RWC is a very good thing for the sport..it brings national attention to all the teams in the world, it is always a good thing to have a competition to see who is the best. yes it does make a ton of money that should go into development of the sport...and as a American some of that should go to a USA Professional League (just my bias and want for a real league here)...I feel that development teams are a good thing...they should however put the best teams out for major comps such as the tri nations, etc..But overall I love the RWC and am excited to watch it.

Answer 5

Cant wait for it to start.

Answer 6

No we look forward to it, as we do the Olympics etc...

We have other contest on the way to the World Cup, the Bledisloe Cup, Tri Nations test, ANZAC Test etc... We see the Best teams in the World, by far play; Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and we look forward to reeking World Cup revenge on hapless old England ! Cant wait !!

Answer 7

one thing that annoys me the most about the world cup is that it makes millions for the incompetent IRB who do need to  put the money back into where the majority of the money should go to 'development'.  While the big playing nations each get a generous share of the rewards many nations that need the money more such as the Pacific teams and other developing nations miss out.  promoting the game in Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia should be the primary focus of the World Cup revenue.