World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont suggested Thursday the World Cup could be held in non-traditional rugby nations following France in 2023, as he hailed the game’s growing popularity in Asia due to Japan’s hosting of the tournament next year. With exactly 12 months to go until the
World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont suggested Thursday the World Cup could be held in non-traditional rugby nations following France in 2023, as he hailed the game’s growing popularity in Asia due to Japan’s hosting of the tournament next year.
With exactly 12 months to go until the battle for the Webb Ellis trophy kicks off in Tokyo, Beaumont also predicted one of the most competitive and unpredictable tournaments yet, tipping free-flowing Fiji as a dark horse team to watch.
“World Rugby will have to have a philosophical debate going forward” over where future World Cups should be held, Beaumont told reporters at an event to mark the year-to-go celebrations.
“It’s important that we are commercially successful but we do need to have that debate whether the next World Cup following France will go to an emerging country or an established country that actually needs a bit of help as well,” he added.
“Do you say to Argentina, do you say to Ireland, Canada, the USA, these are countries we’re going to because actually strategically, that is going to make the biggest difference in that area?”
Beaumont said the decision had been taken to award the World Cup to Japan — far from a traditional rugby stronghold — because of the “huge growth potential” in Asia.
