bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Jonathan White

It’s hard to argue that the Rugby World Cup is anything but a roaring success.
World Rugby have published the numbers and they make for good reading. A total of 1.8 million tickets have been sold for the 48 games – down to 45 after Typhoon Hagibis cancelled three pool fixtures last weekend – and over 800,000 have been enjoying the fan zones.
Spirits are as high as ticket sales and the wider world has fallen in love with Japan, hoping the host’s journey continues by shocking South Africa for a second tournament in a row.
If that happens then the world’s love affair with Japan will only intensify and more people will want this World Cup to never end.


It will also add ever more voices to calls for an expanded tournament in France in four years’ time and you can understand where they are coming from. This is great, so surely it’s only going to be better with more teams?
But everyone needs to put their emotions aside. Making decisions when you’re excited is how you end up waking up in Las Vegas married to a stranger.
Now is not the time to commit to 24 teams for 2023, now is the time to think how the existing World Cup teams can continue to close the gap to the top dogs, of how there can be a repeat of Japan’s run in France in 2023.
That is the problem that the World Cup has. To say Japan have done well to get out of a pool containing Ireland, Scotland, Samoa and Russia is an understatement.


In doing so the hosts have become the only nation since Fiji in 2007 to break the tier one monopoly of the quarter-finals since the World Cup expanded to 20 teams for the 1999 edition.
The top of the game is an increasingly closed shop and no wonder when the top 12 teams don’t have to qualify for the tournament.
The quarter-finals are usually made up of nine of the top 10 tier one nations – with Italy the disappointing exception of the elite.
Go further into the tournament and the suspects become even more usual. The semi-finals across all eight World Cups have only seen eight different teams, while just five of them have made the final and only four have won it.
Is this the World Cup that changes any of that? Will we see a name that is not New Zealand, South Africa, England or Australia on the trophy on November 1?
New Zealand’s preparations for their quarter-final with Ireland point out another issue with the chasm in ability. Because of the cancelled game against Italy, the All Blacks will have not played a tier one team since their opener against South Africa on September 21.
That is not the ideal preparation for the defending champions ahead of the knockouts and, natural disasters aside, the situation could become commonplace with a widened World Cup.
Of the five lowest ranked teams in Japan – Russia, Namibia, USA, Canada and Uruguay – none won a game, although that would have changed had the Canada-Namibia game gone ahead in Kamaishi last Sunday.
These are all teams with World Cup pedigree. In fact, there have only been three debutants since the turn of the century – Uruguay, Russia and Portugal – and none at either of the two last tournaments.
Opening it up to more teams is not the pressing issue as exciting as a first World Cup would be for Hong Kong, Germany or Kenya.
Getting the existing World Cup teams better has to come first.
There has certainly been improvement. Gone are the 100-plus point hidings dished out regularly in years past and this tournament has seen the winning margin narrow again between the Six Nations and Championship sides over the rest.
That just means that the developing rugby nations need to play the better teams to improve, not that it needs to be at the World Cup.
Instead, look to increase the Six Nations and Championship to get a couple of other nations involved. This could even rotate, like football’s Copa America invites teams from other continents at each edition.
Next, the tier three teams need to be given more matches against elite opposition.
Rather than the Autumn internationals pitting the top teams against one another, they should be encouraged to broaden their horizons. Whether that is sold to them as being for the good of the game or it’s cold hard cash, everyone can buy into it.
That would prepare the teams who would be among the four extras at an expanded World Cup as well prepared as they could be.
No one is saying to go back to 16 teams – as the RFU embarrassingly did in 2007 – but slow down the desire to expand.
There are only 106 nations on the ranking so how about getting a few more of them ready to play before kicking open the doors? Everyone might be enjoying the party in Japan right now but not everyone’s ready for more.




Could Japan join Rugby Championship? Michael Leitch talks tier 1, Asia and Eddie Jones

Oxford v Cambridge: winning Blue in Varsity Match a ‘dream come true’ for Hong Kong’s Alex Post

Japan responsible for ‘representing Asia’ amid Covid-impacted rugby stagnation, says star Kazuki Himeno

Japan’s Brave Blossoms to face France in two games in July, officials hoping to revive spirit of 2019

Rugby World Cup 2019

Rugby World Cup: successful outing in Japan shows there’s no need to expand the tournament just yet

Fans await the start of the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup pool A match between Japan and Scotland. Photo: AFP

Rugby World Cup: typhoon be damned, fans root for the home team as Japan digs out from another natural disaster

Japan fans celebrate the team’s win over Scotland at the Rugby World Cup. Photo: AP

Photo: Tim Noonan

Rugby World Cup: grit meets glamour as even uber-stylish Ginza pitches in for the cause

Rugby is just about wearing your team’s colours. Photo: AFP

Photo:

Rugby World Cup: looking for a rugby buzz in multifaceted and sprawling Tokyo

Some neighbourhoods are feeling the buzz of the Rugby World Cup more than others. Photo: Baird Beer Tap room

Sport

Rugby


Japan’s runaway success has played its role in lifting the tournament’s profile
Organisers have had to contend with a natural disaster midway through the tournament



Japan’s runaway success has played its role in lifting the tournament’s profile.


Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Opinion

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Japan’s runaway success has played its role in lifting the tournament’s profile Organisers have had to contend with a natural disaster midway through the tournament

Japan’s runaway success has played its role in lifting the tournament’s profile

Organisers have had to contend with a natural disaster midway through the tournament