L'irlandais
, Promises to Referee in France
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Interesting article about the business side of Rugby World Cups.
The 44 matches are compressed into an 8 week period, as the goal is to break even, or make a profit. The RFU made a surplus of €21 million on the 2015 tournament. However for some minor teams, the short turnovers and long distances travelled mean player safety has taken somewhat of a back seat.
31-man squads a concern while nations like Samoa and USA have drawn the short straw
The hosts have eight-, seven- and eight-day turnarounds with the least road to cover during the Pool stages (635km). Other tier two nations, the USA and Fiji, are not so fortunate.
Given how the hosts have favoured their own team, with 20 rest days for example, they were clearly aware of the issues and likely effect on performance. One would think larger outfits with big backroom staff and access to medical resources could deal better with a more demanding schedule, but still it’s the minnows who put are most at risk of serious injury. The USA get only 14 rest days, that’s being a poor host to my way of thinking.
The 44 matches are compressed into an 8 week period, as the goal is to break even, or make a profit. The RFU made a surplus of €21 million on the 2015 tournament. However for some minor teams, the short turnovers and long distances travelled mean player safety has taken somewhat of a back seat.
31-man squads a concern while nations like Samoa and USA have drawn the short straw
The hosts have eight-, seven- and eight-day turnarounds with the least road to cover during the Pool stages (635km). Other tier two nations, the USA and Fiji, are not so fortunate.
Players need a six-day turnaround. Minimum. But that is not the case at RWC 2019. The US Eagles have been dealt a horrible hand with only 14 rest days – the least alongside South Africa and Canada – while having to trek a total of 2,250km, starting with Kobe to Fukuoka in the five days between playing England and France, before facing Argentina in Kumagaya and Tonga in Higashiosaka, which is 544km travel during a three-day turnaround.
The nations with the greatest strength in depth – New Zealand (18 rest days but travelling 2,246km) and England (17 rest days, 2,147 km) – will struggle with their schedules but it makes no sense to inflict the worst disadvantages on Gary Gold’s American squad.
[LAWS]In Japan there will only be two occasions of four-day rest periods for emerging nations versus tier one opposition, compared with nine occasions in 2015 and only five periods of three-days rest for emerging nations versus five [we count eight] occasions for tier one nations.[/LAWS]If we know a six day turnaround is the strict minimum, then surely 4 day turnarounds are not allowable? End of story. So a 3 day turnaround is criminal, any player (inevitably) suffering injury in that match should take the organisers to court.
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