Rugby World Cup: Australia to pass on hosting 2019 tournament if Japan is stripped of rights

BILL Pulver said Australia would likely pass on a golden opportunity to run the 2019 Rugby World Cup if Japan was stripped of its hosting status by World Rugby.

Pictured in Martin Place, Sydney today is ARU CEO Bill Pulver speaking at the Wallabies public farewell before they head off to the Rugby World Cup. Picture: Tim Hunter.

BILL Pulver said Australia would likely pass on a golden opportunity to run the 2019 Rugby World Cup if Japan was stripped of its hosting status by World Rugby.

On the eve of the 2015 World Cup, the location of the next tournament was thrown into doubt with World Rugby asking for “formal reassurance” from Japan that they’re still on track to organise rugby’s showpiece event in 2019.

Japan were given until the end of September to provide a “revised detailed host venue proposal” after a new national stadium was last month scrapped due to a massive blowout in costs.

The $2 billion dollar stadium was due to host Rugby World Cup matches and the final but the Japanese government believed the build was too expensive and called for a new design in time for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

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But a new national stadium won’t be ready by 2019, leading to serious questions about Japan’s World Cup and an unusually public rebuke from World Rugby.

It also raised the question of who could potentially step in if Japan failed to satisfy World Rugby’s concerns.

Australia could pitch strongly as a safe pair of hands with existing stadiums and infrastructure, and a flawless history of hosting major events.

But Pulver, who stressed he believes Japan will solve their issues and remain hosts, said they’d likely support South Africa if 2019 opened up again and would instead hope to simply move up the north-south batting order from a 2031 World Cup to 2027.

“I hope sincerely that Japan doesn’t fall over and I doubt they will fall over,” he said.

“We did not bid for the 2019 World Cup (but) we desperately want another World Cup as fast as we can. Tactically we would have to establish whether it made sense for us, if it was opened up, to go in.

“Or whether it made sense to clear out one of the countries who is in the pathway before us. Our Southern Hemisphere friend South Africa are desperate for a second World Cup ... so we would have to work out whether we just get in behind and support them. To be honest, I suspect we would.”

Asked what would happen if South Africa wasn’t interested in 2019, Pulver said: “Then I think we would have a real crack at it. But I just think realistically, when you look at the schedule of World Cups since 1987, I want to fire our best shot at the time we are mostly likely to win, and not fizzle out when we are not. I think it would be a bit of a long putt to win ‘19 if it came up, and by the way I don’t think it will come up.”

Given the ARU banked $40 million from hosting the 2003 Rugby World Cup — when coincidentally the ARU seized sole hosting duties away from partners New Zealand — there will be many in Australian rugby who’ll disagree with Pulver’s diplomatic stance and be eager to push hard at even a slim chance to host in 2019.

Like Pulver, World Rugby appears confident it will never get to that point, however. The governing body said in a press release it remained confident Japan in 2019 would be “a resounding success.”

It hasn’t been a good week for Japanese rugby, with major doubts about their inclusion the 2016 Super Rugby competition as well.

Pulver farewelled the Wallabies at a gala lunch in Sydney on Thursday, where he expressed confidence in the side’s capacity to win a third William Webb Ellis Cup.

The ARU boss officially confirmed Michael Cheika’s job would not be under threat regardless of the Wallabies’ result at the World Cup.

But Pulver appeared to set the bar for a satisfactory result at making the final, at the least.

“You simply can’t hide from the fact that we are going to win it. Coming third, fourth, fifth — nobody remembers them. If there is an interim achievement, getting to the World Cup final is a great thing but you want to win it,” he said.

“It’s like I am not going over there to achieve a B in this exam.”

Pulver said victory in the World Cup would be a huge boost to the health of Australian rugby, both commercially and in terms of participation.

Accordingly, players and the ARU had agreed upon a bonus prizemoney pool of “several million dollars to be shared among the playing group.” Pulver also admitted Cheika and ARU officials like himself also had a “significant portion” of their compensation tied World Cup success.

Pulver said the long-awaited new SANZAR broadcasting deal — which is expected to give the ARU $40m a year — is halfway through contract finalisation and is hoped to be ready within a month.

“I apologise for the slowness of getting ours out. It is a little more complex (than NRL and AFL), there are 11 contracts we need to sign,” Pulver said.

“I can tell you with great confidence we are in very good shape.”

Originally published as Rugby World Cup: Australia to pass on hosting 2019 tournament if Japan is stripped of rights