Japan is taking shape in lieu of the Rugby World Cup and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
- by Khaya South Africa
- Aug 28, 2017
- 2 min read
Rugby is in the news as the Castle Lager Championship gains momentum.
The latest round of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship was probably the biggest shot in the arm that the competition has received in several seasons.
*Source www.supersport.com
The smart money wouldn’t be placed on the current log situation, with the Springboks leading on points difference, remaining the same until the end of the competition. But it does make a pleasant change to see a different team on top on a weekend where the Wallabies, although ultimately falling short of their goal, served notice that New Zealand’s aura of invincibility that was pricked by the British and Irish Lions may not be as complete as was thought.
Teams are using the build-up phase to the Word Cup as opportunities to restructure and give their younger players some game time. With the US, Fiji - and most recently Tonga - having joined the ranks to qualify for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, interest is gradually mounting.
A lot of questions still surround who will be based where and, while we expect that the big teams like the All Blacks and Australia will want to be in big cities, we want to see which teams will dot themselves in the smaller regions.
As things stand, 76 cities have applied to host official base camps. There will only be 20 teams at the World Cup, so competition to host is fierce. World Rugby tournament organisers were in Japan recently - and did plenty of investigating with the local committee. They will seek to finalise the list of base camps in October and, thereafter, each team will be allowed to submit their preferred choices. It’ll come down to whether they want the convenience of the big cities, or whether they will be willing to forsake some convenience to rather stay in quieter, more private areas.Altitude acclimatisation will be a major factor in consideration.
The stadiums also showed glimpses of the good and bad during Japan’s recent Tests against Ireland and Romania, with the superb atmosphere ruined somewhat by some basic necessities not provided to the level expected of a World Cup. At Kumamoto, journalists turned up to discover one of the press tribunes had been reserved for VIPs, the table and power points apparently more necessary for host city officials than the working press. Importantly, fans also vented their frustration at the accessibility of the stadiums and the services on offer when they got to the ground.
With opening ceremony just 27 months away, it is clear that much work is still to be done if the RWC is to be executed successfully. The eyes of the world will be on the host nation, as the grand daddy of sporting events looms large for 2020, when Japan will host the Summer Games.
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