McCaw supports mini 'World Cup'
Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:20
War cry: Richie McCaw leads the All Black haka
All Black skipper Richie McCaw has backed plans for a biennial "world series" championship that aims to provide top-level international competition between Rugby World Cups.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) is considering the introduction of a biennial world tournament, due the lack of intensity shown by weakened European nations when they travel to the Southern Hemisphere at the end of their respective domestic seasons.
According to The Daily Mail, the IRB have proposed that all Six Nations matches and some Tri-Nations Tests could count towards the "world series" along with the inter-hemisphere tours mid-year and November, and other matches involving Argentina.
Ten countries would thus be involved, namely New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, England, Wales, France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy and Argentina.
The final would then be held at a giant venue (such as Wembley Stadium in London) to make it financially attractive.
All Black captain Richie McCaw believes the competition would not only provide the Kiwis with competitive recognition between World Cups (at which the All Blacks tend to become unstuck), but be beneficial for the game globally.
"If it's done right it could add something to world rugby, it could be a real spectacle," McCaw told NZPA reporters in England on Sunday.
The project will be up for discussion in October and McCaw, who was present at its first proposal at last year's IRB workshop in Woking, England, would support its introduction.
"Instead of guys just turning up at the end of the season to play Tests with nothing riding on it, it might add something and keep the excitement up for both fans and players.
"If they can work something out it could be good - as long as they don't want to take anything away from the World Cup as the real pinnacle," he added.
An IRB spokesman told The Daily Mail that 2010 would be the preferred start of the said tournament.
"A lot of goalposts will need a lot of shifting if the world series is to get off the ground before the next World Cup in 2011," he said.
"It's a complex jigsaw with a lot of obstacles to be overcome but the idea is taking shape."
