RUGBY WORLD CUP: Issues with Format/Competitiveness

Jump_In_Jack · 12-10-2023 12:01pm

If sticking with 20 teams split over 4 pools of 5, I'd do the following:

Pools as normal, then:

A-Tournament

1-8 into quarters of the A, branching to 4 into semis of an A Proper and 4 into semis of an A Plate, culminating in an A Proper final and an A Plate final, no third place/consolation matches.

B-Tournament

9-16 into quarters of the B, branching to 4 into semis of a B Proper and 4 into semis of a B Plate, culminating in a B Proper final and a B Plate final, no third place/consolation matches.

C-Tournament

17-20 into semis of a C, culminating in a C final, no third place/consolation match.

Ideally I'd expand the pools to 6 teams to include Spain, USA, Canada and Hong Kong, in which case the C-Tournament would be 17-24 and would have quarters and a C Proper and a C Plate.

The reason for more playoff matches aside from the A Proper is that in my view it is the one opportunity every four years where we get to have a global rugby festival, and eliminating the final round of third placed matches but keeping an element of knockout rugby so all teams would be involved up to that point, and half of the teams involved in the final weekend would keep more people tuning in for longer.

12 quarters, 12 semis, and 6 finals on the final weekend as follows: C on Friday evening (e.g. C Plate Final @ 5:30PM and C Proper Final @ 8PM), B on Saturday afternoon (e.g. B Plate Final @ 12:30PM and B Proper Final @ 3PM), and A on Saturday evening (e.g. A Plate Final @ 5:30PM and A Proper Final @ 8PM).

Lost Ormond · 12-10-2023 12:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121227607#Comment_121227607

I don't think we need or should be having everyone playing out finals.

It's an elite tournament if you want to get .ore games for teams do it in the rest of the 4 year world Cup cycle.

Georgia, Fiji, Uruguay etc don't need games against each other in a world cup tiered playoff they need games against Ireland, Australia, every year.

These changes don't do this enough. It just allows Ireland and other 6 nations and rugby championship sides to pretty much ignore all other countries outside of the world cup.

Dubinusa · 12-10-2023 1:27pm

If Romania or Georgia could get into a league like the urc or top 14, they would improve. It won't happen. But a run out in a league, week after week would increase their skills and expose them to top level opponents.

Financially it's probably not on the cards. Imagine the interest in these countries if LaR or Toulouse came to play.

Hoboo · 12-10-2023 1:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058317130/rugby-world-cup-issues-with-format-competitiveness

What’s your opinion?

TheRona · 12-10-2023 2:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121228078#Comment_121228078

I don't have one. I've been enjoying the RWC. I was just sick of people arguing about it every time people were trying to discuss a match that was on. It completely derailed the main thread.

That said, some of the ideas here are decent.

bilston · 12-10-2023 2:32pm

The world cup mismatches are what happens when the 4 years in between are mismanaged.

Japan and Fiji should join the Rugby Championship as soon as is possible. This is an absolute no brainer as far as I'm concerned.

It's hard to know the best path for the likes of Georgia, Portugal and Romania and Spain. The 6Ns is owned by the six countries that compete in it, so they are never going to agree to promotion and relegation. Then only way other teams get in is via expansion and realistically SA are more like to join than any European team.

I think one thing that needs to happen is that Tier 1 sides start to play games in Lisbon and Tblissi and Georgia and Portugal get 3 matches against decent opposition in November and again in June.

TheRona · 12-10-2023 2:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121228528#Comment_121228528

TBF, the last 4 years was really screwed by Covid. I was looking at highlights of Ireland touring NZ last year, and the NZ coaching team were still wearing masks. Mad.

Getting Japan and Fiji into the RC would need to jump a few hurdles. Home and Away wouldn't be viable any more. Also, you're getting into some pretty insane travel times.

sprucemoose · 12-10-2023 6:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121227891#Comment_121227891

you could do both?

expand the rwc to have a secondary competition for 3/4 place teams AND increase the exposure lower teams have against better opposition

another thing id like to see is extended touring squads for the summer/november tours with 'A' games similar to how the Irish tour to NZ last year worked, but against 'weaker' opposition - say Ireland A play Namibia next summer and NZ 'A' play Spain/Portugal in the Winter.

Financially it might not make sense though

Lost Ormond · 12-10-2023 11:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121228064#Comment_121228064

Romania and Georgia are never going to get into the top 14. Or URC.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121229565#Comment_121229565

Expanding the world cup isnt needed as many of these countries play more than enough against each other. and its not at a world cup they need more games. they need a better focus and aim for outside of the world cup.

Expanding the world cup shouldnt happen because its not what these countries need. All that extra expense to do that at a world cup would be far better spent in implementing initiatives to improve standards of teams in the rest of the world cup cycle.

Australia playing Fiji every year/2nd year would be far more beneficial than any type of world cup seeding event. In the pro era Australia have played Fiji 8 times. 1 was a world cup qualifier, 3 were in games in world cups. that pretty much shows that in 30 years theyve only played fiji twice in tests that werent decided by world rugby. that isnt good enough.

you could say the same with the rest of the 6 nations and rugby championship sides.

RUGBY WORLD CUP: Issues with Format/Competitiveness

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