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Watching the finals of the Hong Kong Sevens, a thought occurred to me that a Plate, Bowl and Shield final series in the Rugby World Cup might be a good way for the minnows to get stronger.
The current format for the RWC means that the minnows get one match against a team of similar ability and then get thrashed by the dominant nations.
The Bowl and Shield finals in the Hong Kong Sevens were keenly contested and the joy for the Hong Kong and Canadian teams in their victory was great to see.
I understand that the Sevens games are 14/20 minutes compared to 80 minutes for the 15s and there would be logistical and scheduling issues for the additional matches.
However, the prospect of playing semi finals and finals would be great for the minnows, and as the crowd for the Romania Vs Namibia RWC match in Launceston showed, there’s a lot of goodwill for the smaller rugby nations.
My thoughts were that the pool games are played and the top two teams in the four pools go on to play for the Cup in the quarters and semi-finals and finals.
The four third placed teams could play semis and finals for the Plate, the four fourth placed teams play semis and finals for the Bowl, and the fifth placed teams play for the Shield.
This would require scheduling for an additional nine matches.
Using the 2003 venues as an example, the Plate, Bowl and Shield semis and finals could be played at the smaller venues such as Canberra Stadium, Adelaide Oval and York Park in Launceston.
Would the IRB be willing to take the risk? The benefits for the middle tier and minnow nations might be worth it.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.