Rugby World Cup: Typhoon Hagibis cancels England v France and New Zealand v Italy
The ‘regrettable decision’ to cancel two RWC pool games as super-typhoon Hagibis bears down on Japan means the Australia-England collision everyone wanted has been bizarrely confirmed.
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The Australia-England collision everyone wanted at the Rugby World Cup has been bizarrely confirmed by the worrying direct hit no one wanted from super-Typhoon Hagibis.
Two matches have been cancelled and more than $10 million in tickets will be refunded because the raging super-typhoon will strike the Japanese coastline on Saturday.
Anxious World Cup organisers took the only safety-first course they could in Tokyo on Thursday by abandoning Saturday’s England-France blockbuster in Yokohama and the New Zealand-Italy game in Toyota City.
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The instant spin-off of awarding two-points apiece as if both matches were draws means Eddie Jones’ English top Pool C and will face the Wallabies in a sudden-death quarter-final in Oita on Saturday week.
The Wallabies need only beat the brawny, forward-dominated Georgian team in Shizuoka on Friday night to tick the final box for that blockbuster to be locked in.
It’s unprecedented weather chaos for any World Cup with the biggest typhoon of the 19 for Japan this season bringing heavy rain and possible wind gusts of more than 200km per hour.
Whether the final crunch pool match is played on Sunday night to decide whether hosts Japan or Scotland advance to the quarter-finals will be evaluated on match morning.
It will be played if the typhoon has passed and the surface and infrastructure at the International Stadium Yokohama is deemed safe for the players and a 70,000-strong crowd getting in and out.
If not, the match would also likely be cancelled. Japan would advance and the unlucky Scots would forever rue one of sports’ cruellest breaks when not having the chance to beat the Japanese for a spot in the quarters.
World Rugby and the Japan Rugby 2019 Organising Committee said the decision to cancel the two matches was on safety grounds with the evolving weather situation still “dynamic.”
“While making every possible effort to put in place a contingency plan that would enable all of Saturday’s matches to be played, it would be grossly irresponsible to leave teams, fans, volunteers and other tournament personnel exposed during what is predicted to be a severe typhoon,” World Rugby Chief Operating Officer Alan Gilpin said.
“Cancelling some matches is the right thing to do and comes with the support of all stakeholders, including the teams.”
Australia’s clash against Georgia was given the tick to proceed as was Saturday’s Ireland-Samoa match in Fukuoka.
The Wallabies were to return to Tokyo by bullet train on Saturday but government advice for fans to stay indoors and not attempt to travel on Saturday may alter that plan.
“Based on the latest detailed information, Hagibis is predicted to be the biggest typhoon of the 2019 season and is highly likely to cause considerable disruption in the Tokyo, Yokohama and City of Toyota areas throughout Saturday, including likely public transport shutdown or disruption,” World Rugby said in a statement.
“It is an exceptional, complex and rapidly evolving situation and team and public safety is the No.1 priority.
“This has been central in all decision-making in partnership with the tournament’s weather information experts, host cities, venues and teams.
“Every effort is being made to ensure Sunday’s matches will be played as scheduled. A thorough assessment of venues will take place after the typhoon has passed before a final decision is made on Sunday morning.”
Originally published as Rugby World Cup: Typhoon Hagibis cancels England v France and New Zealand v Italy