• HOW TO RUN A RUGBY WORLD CUP


    MAKE IT EDGY, MAKE IT QUICK

    The rugby World Cup starts on September 7th. It should be taut and lean, like its participants, says Rob Smyth. Instead, it is bloated by too many pointless games and too many no-hope teams ...

    From INTELLIGENT LIFE magazine, September 2007

    The 47-day cricket World Cup in the Caribbean earlier this year, widely acclaimed as the worst world cup in the history of any sport, was like a series of “Big Brother”. It seemed to be on television 24 hours a day, and yet it contained so little significant action that even the highlights were dull. “Day 40,” you could hear that deadpan Geordie voice saying, “England beat the West Indies in a game that means nothing to either side.” The reasons were not far to seek: commerce, and the desire to spread the word to emerging nations. But that word is unlikely to trip off the tongue if it has 47 syllables.

    The rugby World Cup, from September 7th to October 20th, is likely to be equally unexciting. The group stages last 24 days and 40 matches, yet only those between France, Argentina and Ireland are likely to matter. The tournament will be a book with a 200-page introduction.
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