IRB plans to put Middle East on World Cup map
FIFA’s decision last December to award the 2022 tournament to Qatar — a country of less than two millionpeople and one with an extreme desert climate — took the world by surprise and continues to rankle, particularly in more traditional footballing heartlands.
Mike Miller, chief executive of the International Rugby Board (IRB), shares football’s desire to penetrate new markets and communities but believes the oval ball game must learn to walk before it can run in less familiar territories.
“Football is a world game,” said Miller. “It is played everywhere, it is the number one sport and I think they could go to almost any territory and have a successful World Cup. We’re not at that stage yet. We need to be in some place where there is a tradition for rugby already and one with a tradition of having major events.
“But we have to look outwards and not keeping going back to the same places if we are to grow the game properly. Italy is interested in hosting the World Cup, Russia and America as well and there will come a time when the World Cup should and will be hosted in the Middle East but it is a question of time and evolution.”
The decision by the International Olympic Committee to welcome Rugby Sevens into the Games has been a major boost to a sport that has already experienced significant growth in recent years, but Rugby World Cup remains its driving force.
The four-yearly events account for up to 96% of the monies used by the IRB to fund the game around the world, which means the game’s governing body must find a balance between risk and dividends when it comes to choosing host nations.
“You have to remember that we have only had the Rugby World Cup since 1987,” said Miller. “The football World Cup has been going since the 20s [the first football World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930] and it took them 50 or 60 years before they moved out of their traditional base, so we are actually doing pretty well in comparison.”
Meanwhile, Ireland have confirmed that they will continue to participate in the IRB World Junior Championships, having threatened to pull out of the competition recently due to concerns over player welfare and finance.
Mike Ruddock’s U20 side finished eighth at the most recent tournament, held in Italy in June, since when the IRB has agreed to a number of measures, such as an extra day between the last two pool games and the addition of a further front row player to the bench on match days.
“The IRFU welcomes the fact that the IRB has addressed a number of concerns raised but there are still one or two areas where dialogue is needed but we can confirm that Ireland will be participating in the tournament going forward,” said an IRFU spokesman yesterday.
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