- Title: Japan expecting “rugby mania†as World Cup opening nears
- Date: 17th September 2019
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (SEPTEMBER 17, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** WORLD RUGBY AND JAPAN 2019 OFFICIALS ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE TO OPEN RUGBY WORLD CUP WORLD RUGBY CHAIRMAN BILL BEAUMONT ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE OFFICIALS SITTING DOWN WEBB ELLIS TROPHY (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD RUGBY CHAIRMAN, BILL BEAUMONT, SAYING: "Never has a tournament been so eagerly anticipated and never has a host nation been so excited to embrace our sport. Over the next six weeks we will embrace the very best of rugby and also the very best of Japan. From 96% of tickets sold - still counting - to record fanzone attendances and superb host city engagement, rugby mania is going to captivate this nation." NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY WHILST VIDEO PLAYS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPAN 2019 CHAIRMAN, FUJIO MITARAI, SAYING: "More than half a million fans are coming to Japan from many parts of the world and we are very encouraged by the fact that they are coming to Japan. This event is going to be a trigger for many Japanese people who will be effected by the sport. We can then gain more funding here in Japan, then more children here can play rugby. That is what we are hoping for." NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD RUGBY CEO, BRETT GOSPER, SAYING: "It is too early to say. As you are all well aware, we had another alternative on the table when we were looking at investment in the global game and how we could take the global game forward through a World League and so on. We generated the possibility of high funding and so but the Six Nations have decided to take another route. I would have to say we don't know enough about the ins-and-outs of that deal, it is a bit shrouded so we cannot really comment at this stage whether it is good or bad. Certainly as big an investor in the sport as a private equity firm such as CVC would create influence and that could be in some areas something that could concern us. So it is important that we understand from CVC exactly what their medium to long terms plans are and from that we can react. It is a big early to evaluate where we are heading at this point in time." NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD RUGBY CEO, BRETT GOSPER, SAYING: "All the other head coaches were there and all of the referees were in the room. There is good understanding - not always agreement with all the decisions that are made - but there is an understanding behind our decisions. This is the fittest, best prepared group of match officials that we have ever had. They have never been supported by so much technology, hawkeye etc. There is also much greater aligning between citing and judicial so everything is in place for as much consistency as possible. There will be the odd hiccup - there always is the human element in refereeing - but we think the match officials are the best we have ever had." NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
- Embargoed: 1st October 2019 11:41
- Keywords: Rugby Union World Cup Bill Beaumont
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Rugby Union,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001AX1QLHB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: World Rugby expect the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup to be a momentous success, increasing commercialisation and participation in the sport across Asia whilst delivering a world class event.
"Never has a tournament been so eagerly anticipated and never has a host nation been so excited to embrace our sport," said World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont in Tokyo on Tuesday (September 17).
The tournament, which begins on Friday (September 20) when the hosts face South Africa, is the first World Cup outside of the sports traditional rugby heartland but organisers are certain it will be a success.
Fujio Mitarai, the chairman of the tournament's organising committee, is keen that the World Cup leaves a lasting legacy in Japan and increases participation in the sport long term.
World Rugby chief Brett Gosper also flagged concerns over a media report that private equity firm CVC Capital Partners is on the brink of paying more than $350 million for a stake in the Six Nations.
Britain's The Times newspaper reported that CVC, which bought a minority stake in the English Premiership last December, has agreed in principle to buy a 15% share in the commercial arm of the Six Nations.
According to the report, the Six Nations unions - England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and France - have decided to pool their business into one commercial entity, meaning CVC will also have a share of their autumn and summer internationals.
World Rugby chief executive Gosper said that while he did not know enough about the deal to make a final judgment on whether it was "good or bad" for the game, he had his reservations.
World Rugby's proposal to create its own vehicle to attract major investment in the sport via a World League involving both Six Nations and Rugby Championship teams New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina was knocked back earlier this year.
(Production: Jack Tarrant) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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