RWC qualifier schedule - Unreasonable?

[Browner]

http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/match/fixtures/international.html

Zimbabwe, Namibia Kenya and Madagascar have to play matches on sat 28th june, again on Wed 2nd july and a third time on sat 5th July ..wtf!

Crikey... 3 matches in 8 days ..... that's a schedule to test squad depth & ice bath value !




EDIT: You started a good thread with some valid points, and then let it down with unnecessary trolling, which I have removed

 

[winchesterref]

That does seem like one heck of a schedule.

 

[FlipFlop]

The african qualifer is a tournament. Not too dissimilar to some of the lower level European leagues.

Reduces travel costs, and time away from work for the players.

And I think (correct me if wrong) it is the relevant union body who sets the qualifying process, not the IRB, or the RWC. (For example, this African qualifying is organised by the CAR, the European one is organised by Rugby Europe (FIRA-AER) etc).

It is not as crazy as it initially seems

 

[Rushforth]

It seems to be a fairly standard format for round robins of 4 teams or alternatively a Swiss-style tournament of 8 teams playing 3 matches each to use two weekends and a midweek inbetween.

http://www.rugbyeurope.eu/group-181.htm for example.

 

[Browner]

It seems to be a fairly standard format for round robins of 4 teams or alternatively a Swiss-style tournament of 8 teams playing 3 matches each to use two weekends and a midweek inbetween.

http://www.rugbyeurope.eu/group-181.htm for example.

Std format or not, if you've ever tried to play x3 full-on matches in eight days then you'll know that by the time the third arrives your body is in bits , not pleasant.

 

[irishref]

We don't do this in Europe at all!!! Our RWC qualification is the normal FIRA-AER cycle.

The lower tiers have a winner (a 2-season cycle to ensure home and away ties) and they play off at home to winner of the tier above.

The top tier is different: teams 1 & 2 are in the RWC and team 3 plays in the repechage.

So taking our glorious Dutch XV (tier 3) as an example... we played in Israel (tier 4) who had beaten the winner of tier 5 and won easily.

We then had a home tie against Germany (tier 2 champs) and unfortunately lost a close game (with a red for Germany - tip tackle!).

Germany then had a home tie against Russia who were third in Tier 1. Close game the Russians eventually won. They will play the highest non qualified team from CAR.

The single-game playoffs between the tier champions happened earlier this year (april & may) with a couple of weeks in between.

Our normal FIRA-AER schedule is 2 games in October and 2 in April.

 

[FlipFlop]

Irishref - that is true. But the Underage championships play in the style, and the Level 3 Rugby Europe (FIRA-AER) - happen that way as well.

Travel costs is the reason.

 

[Browner]

Its Kenya's to lose ....home tie etc