Feasts... then famine: How World Rugby made a bags of the RWC draw

That they're 'hoping' to make the 2027 draw closer to the tournament is as close as you'll get to an admission that the messed up this time

LOP-SIDED: There are a lot of sharks swimming in the waters of Pool A and Pool B for the 2023 Rugby World Cup

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont recently reiterated that the draw for the 2023 Rugby World Cup was made so early – back in December 2020 – “because of the surety of the host cities and knowing where teams were going, which is very important”.

It has always sounded like a flimsy argument when you consider that the draw for the football World Cup – with over 50 per cent more teams, more than twice as many fans and therefore a far bigger logistical challenge – typically takes place six to seven months before the tournament kicks off.