Rugby World Cup organisers have been forced to scrap two big pool games on safety grounds as Japan braces for the impact of super typhoon Hagibis.
Matches scheduled for Saturday between England and France, and New Zealand and Italy have been abandoned, with organisers describing their historic decision as “regrettable”.
They are the first cancellations in the tournament’s 32-year history.
The pool-deciding England match was scheduled for Yokohama, which is in the direct path of the tropical storm while New Zealand’s match was to be in Toyota City, on the fringe.
The games were scheduled for the same day the category 5 storm is set to make landfall and organisers said in a statement they did not want to risk player, official and spectator safety.
They said the “risks were too challenging” to consider shifting the match venues.
A decision was still to be made on the status of matches on Sunday, including a key clash between Japan and Scotland in Yokohama.
Organisers said Hagibis was forecast to be the biggest typhoon of the 2019 season and is highly likely to cause considerable disruption in the Tokyo, Yokohama and Toyota City areas throughout Saturday, including likely public transport shutdown.
The statement said the impacted teams had been informed and were understanding.
“It is an exceptional, complex and rapidly evolving situation and team and public safety is the number one priority,” the World Rugby statement said.
While we have extensively explored all options, public and team safety was our utmost priority as well as ensuring a consistent, fair and equitable outcome for all teams.”
All fans with tickets for a cancelled match will receive a full refund, World Rugby said.
A decision on Sunday’s matches will be made after an assessment of venues, every effort is being made to ensure Sunday’s matches will be played as scheduled.
A thorough assessment of venues will take place after the typhoon has passed before a final decision is made on Sunday morning.
Based on the advice of government authorities and experts, World Rugby and the Japan Rugby Organising Committee are advising fans in the Tokyo, Yokohama and Toyota City areas to stay indoors on Saturday.
Fans are urged not to travel and to keep monitoring the official Rugby World Cup 2019 digital and social channels, including the RWC 2019 Fan Information Twitter handle @Japan2019_ENG for regular updates.
World Rugby Chief Operating Officer and Tournament Director Alan Gilpin said when addressing the media: “This is a complex and dynamic situation which we have been monitoring extremely closely with the assistance of our weather information experts.
“We are now in a position to accurately predict the likely impact of Typhoon Hagibis on Rugby World Cup fixtures this weekend.
“While making every possible effort to put in place a contingency plan that would enable all of Saturday’s matches to be played, it would be grossly irresponsible to leave teams, fans, volunteers and other tournament personnel exposed during what is predicted to be a severe typhoon.
The typhoon, labelled “violent” by the Japan Meteorological Agency is set to have a big impact on the World Cup’s quarter-final permutations, with the cancelled games to be registered as scoreless draws.
England will progress as pool C winners into the quarter-finals, where they will almost certainly face Australia. Pool runners-up France would then face Wales.
Italy could have snared an unlikely quarter-final spot and ousted the All Blacks if they’d won with a bonus point but they could be denied that chance.
The Wallabies, who face Georgia 200km southwest of Tokyo in Shizuoka on Friday night, are unaffected.
Bill Shut
Roar Rookie
haha not sarcastic...... One decision is from Sanzaar the other decision from World Rugby...... Just shows how aligned they all are.
Davico
Roar Pro
I stand corrected. For some reason I thought Wales was the host! :thumbup:
Batdown
Roar Rookie
Both games would have been an excellent watch. Oh well, bring on the finals!
Stu
Roar Rookie
Agreed. Meanwhile in a parallel dimension where games WERE played and completed, Reid gets red carded for a high tackle on an Italian forward, Retallick ruptures his cruciate and NZ goes out in a completely unforseen quarter final loss, Scotland beat Japan, win through to eventual final, losing to SA? after refs stop ruining the game with Skeen interventions - who saw that coming?!, and Wallabies.. well, they went home anyway after a 30 point England flogging in the quarters.. Some things don't change whatever weird dimension you're in.. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Melburnian
Roar Pro
2015 England ... didn't get out of the pool.
Stu
Roar Rookie
Yeah, but washouts in the ICC World Cup are real time on the day with no guaranteed notice available. This was canned three days ago! The Japanese are so awesome, I'm surprised they don't have a pop up typhoon-proof stadium invented for just such an occasion! Could they not fly the teams to a distant Japanese island away from trouble to just play the games out, even behind closed doors? Given no options, Scotland are as mad as a cut snake, which is hardly surprising. Imagine the uproar if it was the Wallabies.. We'd be going home 1 game early! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Fox
Roar Guru
England have few injuries NV so I think Eddie will be pleased to be honest. Hansen has pretty fit squad at present so he probably would have liked a run before the quarters. But they must find a way to play the Japan v Scotland game and especially after the last WC when the Scots were shafted by a really poor referee decision with the ref apologizing to Scotland after the game and watching the footage realizing he had made huge error. That game must somehow go ahead.
Davico
Roar Pro
I know it is a massive longshot but surely Italy deserved the chance to cause a massive upset and qualify?! Why could they not play Monday? I get that would mean a short turnaround for NZ, Eng, Fra but surely that is better than not giving a team at least the opportunity to qualify? As it is the rest periods for the teams on opposing sides of the Qtrs will be vastly different so it is not going to be a level playing field. If NZ get beat, are they going to blame being underdone? Eng defo needed the break with their injuries? And if the Jpn v Sco game gets cancelled???? IMO the games needed to be played somehow, somewhere, somewhen to ensure the integrity of the Cup
Davico
Roar Pro
Is that why the Sunwolves have been booted from Super rugby? To grow the game? Or, I have just realised you were being sarcastic....???? So, confused?! :laughing:
Davico
Roar Pro
No it is going in the books as a 0-0 draw apparently
Davico
Roar Pro
You can put money on it that this game will be cancelled as it means Japan goes through. No host has ever missed the Qtr's
Davico
Roar Pro
Eddie being ahead of Cheika does not say much considering the quality of the players they have to work with. Eddie was an average coach when we had a very good team
Aussieinexile
Roar Rookie
Nobody denies the weather is an issue and the intensity of the hurricanes. What everybody is crossed with, is WR's amateurism and lack of contingency plan for such situation. (like not block booking the stadiums for the entire tournament). I know the odds of such an intense typhoon were small but they should have to be prepared for the worst particularly that a typhoon had already hit the mainland last month I hope some class-action suit for tickets money and travel costs will be made by fans. The competition is now distorted or compromised, there will always be a question mark over the winner of this World Cup. World Rugby deserved whatever they get after the lack of any accountability and for the mess with eligibility after the 2018 REC.
Kane
Roar Guru
Hence why I thought they should have moved them to the same venues as Samoa v Ireland and Australia v Georgia. Make a double header of it.
Double Agent
Guest
Whoa!! Back up there Kane. It's my job to be the Forum Pedant. You stick to your job and I'll stick to mine!! :laughing: :laughing:
Denis Nihill
Guest
I have lived in Japan, Philippines and Indonesia. The impact of natural disasters is severe, affecting mainly the poor. As much of a rugby fan as I am, Get over this BS, its only a game and protecting lives is a priority
Kane
Roar Guru
They’ve won three on the trot against the french in RWC’s. One final and one quarter.
Lara
Guest
I know these things are out of your control n nobody wins n safety is paramount. However, condensing the preliminaries with slightly shorter turnarounds to give yourself 3 to 5 days up your shelves for possible rescheduling would have been a reasonable plan of action. All very difficult to organise , but to get all the games played is a must in such tournaments.
Mango Jack
Roar Guru
Kinda hoping Sunday's game is cancelled, so some news headline can read: "Hagibis stops Haggis".
Malo
Guest
Just let the refs decide , who needs qtr finals anyhow. Just call it ???? final England vs abs. SKEEN calls the shots.