rugby365's Rugby World Cup Guide
Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:25
The ultimate prize: The Webb Ellis Trophy
With the next three World Cup venues already decided, rugby365 columnist Jon Harris casts his eye over New Zealand, England and Japan... wondering exactly which one he himself might be tempted to attend...
The hosts of the three next Rugby World Cups have been announced, and for the next ten years at least, we rugby fans can either save to attend one of these or alternatively plan to be glued to the screens when they come around.
New Zealand host the 2011 version, with England welcoming us in 2015, and then it is off to a totally new experience, Japan for 2019.
Let us not forget that the ultimate reason for any World Cup, be it soccer, hockey, rugby or any other sport, is not to prove who is the best in the World at the time but rather to generate income for the controlling body. There are a number of other factors involved in the analysis, but let's forget the broader base and concern ourselves only about
rugby. The development of the sport is very important, perhaps the most important as it has a direct impact on the financial gain set to be made into the future. But it is the return on investment that the IRB looks at in the short term.
Of the three upcoming tournaments over the next ten years, England are set to deliver the highest injection of cash into the coffers of the IRB, who incidentally rely on the RWC for 90% of their income. The country is a low risk-high return venue, probably due to the disposable income of the supporter base (although not perhaps the case in 2009) and of course the readily available facilities and infrastructure.
Time zones, maybe not important to us, affect the marketability of the event. As an example, the New Zealand tournament will be held at relatively 'odd' hours for the greater paying public, i.e. Europe and South Africa. As a matter of interest, South Africa generates a substantial income from television rights
to its viewers. In a layman's understanding, how does one get top dollar for a RWC Final, if the majority of the viewers have to rise at the crack of dawn to catch it live? Advertisers are acutely aware of this. That as an example, threatens the income of the New Zealand based tournament.
Offsetting this to a great degree is the atmosphere of attending such a tournament in one of the bastions of the game, but the profit made from tourism does not find its way to the IRB coffers, except in the form of gate takings, which is a bit of a hot potato in these recessionary times.
So New Zealand will be the rugby lover's dream destination, but it will come at a price and it is to a degree exclusive by virtue of affordability.
England by contrast, has a huge supporter base with disposable income available. The tradition of the British & Irish supporter is to follow the game and more specifically their team. They don't stop at buying the
ticket, they include the merchandise and it appears as if last year's merchandise just does not cut it. It has to be the latest style and issue. The advantage is obvious.
Supplementing this enormous supporter base are the legions of foreign support, just a few hours and a couple of hundred Euros away from the game on the Continent, so the pool available is so much deeper.
Attending a RWC in England must be a wonderful experience. Apart from experiencing what the country has to offer, enjoying the rugby culture in the UK and Ireland must rank as a highlight in any rugby person's life.
England is guaranteed to deliver one of the best RWCs ever, it has everything going for it. Weather? Who mentioned weather?
The gamble is however Japan, and well done to the IRB for backing them. They have ten years to prepare themselves to entertain the World with this showpiece. The interest generated from the build up is sure to grow
the game, although realistically, that growth should only manifest after their hosting the tournament.
Rugby in this country is on an ever-improving scale. At the moment it appears as if the New Zealanders use it as a retirement league, choosing to finish off their careers there for the big pay checks. One cannot fault them and it does benefit the game in Japan. By comparison, 20-30 years ago there was a host of New Zealanders, Australians and South Africans playing rugby in Italy. They, like the Japanese Westerners, were ending their playing careers and taking the big pay cheques (incidentally in an amateur era, gasp!). The proof is there to see. The game in Italy improved exponentially and the country is now part of the Six Nations Tournament, and one should not be critical of their record in this tournament, especially if one knows how weak their rugby was 30 years ago.
A totally different issue is how the game will grow in Japan, in the context of
how disposed the greater population is to the game. There are signs of the game growing in popularity, but the Japanese RFU will have to put some effort into the game in the build up to the tournament. The Japanese have more traditional sports attracting their attention, and if not these, then the Americanisation of the country poses a problem, with baseball, basketball and gridiron enjoying popularity.
Growth of the game in that country was a serious consideration in awarding RWC 2019 to them and they will have to carry through on their proposals. Otherwise they may just become the most exotic venue of the RWC to date, lovely to tour but no rugby vibe or culture to speak of. Rugby vibe and culture is important.
Japan will benefit from the tournament and that country may still become a force in the game.
Not many can complain about the Rugby World Cup Schedule for the next decade. Yes, South Africa has proved itself as being a
capable host of major sporting events, but in terms of profitability for the IRB, it is measured in Pounds Sterling, and with a debilitating exchange rate, the profitability for the IRB would have been diluted.
So let's look forward to the next three tournaments with interest. Being more of a traditional disposition, my goal is to attend the 2015 tournament in England. I love the rugby culture in the United Kingdom and Ireland and if I was forced to make a choice, value for money for the excursion as a whole would be from the England trip.
However, if money were not a consideration (and with most tourists it unfortunately is), Japan would be a fascinating experience.
by Jon Harris
Which World Cup would you attend? Do you agree with Jon's analysis? Let us know...
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