#RWC2019: Euphoria and despair will meet in Japan

When rugby went professional — officially, at least — in 1995, Shannon won the first of their four-in-a-row AIL titles. That great club went on to win five more, but now plays in Division 1B. The lure of professionalism has made life very difficult for bedrock, legacy clubs, whose amateur culture is an echo from another time. In contrast, the game’s commercialism screamed yesterday, when a TV audience in the hundreds of millions watched former All Black Richie McCaw return the Webb Ellis Cup, won by New Zealand in 2011 and 2015, at the Rugby World Cup’s Tokyo opening ceremony. As he walked away from the trophy, McCaw cast a wistful glance over his shoulder, as if saying goodbye to a part of his life, gone forever. He need not have fretted: The All Blacks’ achievements — those of others, too — have helped build a commercial rollercoaster that shows no sign of slowing down.

That the Rugby World Cup megastore in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district had sold out of Wallaby and All Black T-shirts long before McCaw returned the trophy confirms that. That an equity firm has just secured unprecedented influence in European rugby, through a €350m deal, confirms it even more loudly. CVC Capital Partners, who have a stake in England’s Gallagher Premiership and who are finalising a similar deal with the Pro14, have agreed to buy a 15% share in six unions’ commercial arm. CVC will own a share not only of the Six Nations’ Championship, but also the autumn internationals and summer tours. If that momentum seems