Japan World Cup schedule revamp ‘ready in a month’
World Rugby bosses move swiftly after government scraps plans for new national stadium in Tokyo
Rugby chiefs will reorganise the 2019 World Cup schedule in the next month after Japan’s decision to scrap a new national stadium in Tokyo because of escalating costs, World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset said Friday.
Lapasset said the world body could press for financial compensation, but for the moment there was no question of moving the tournament from Japan.
"We have given ourselves one month to get out of this situation. We must not delay, not have any doubts," Lapasset said on the sidelines of International Olympic Committee meetings in Kuala Lumpur.
We have requested a precise analysis and we are considering [seeking] financial compensation if the losses are quite heavy
"We must have something ready in a month," he added.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shocked World Rugby last month when he scrapped plans for a national stadium for the 2020 Olympics. The stadium was also to be used for the Rugby World Cup in 2019, including the final.
Abe said the US$2 billion cost of the stadium was too high and a new design should be found. The new stadium will now not be ready in time for RWC 2019.
"We need to know now how we are going to reorganise all of the competition so that there is a balance of different matches in the different stadiums," Lapasset said.