All Systems Go for 2019 Rugby World Cup

(ATR) Japan is well on track in its preparations for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, according to World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper.

The tournament will be the first of its kind in the Asian region and Gosper praised the organization of the event so far while speaking to reporters at the World Rugby Confex in London this week.

While Tokyo’s plans for the Olympics come under serious financial scrutiny, there is more positivity surrounding the rugby showpiece particularly since the decision was taken to move the final of the 2019 Rugby World Cup to the Yokohama International Stadium.

Gosper explained that World Rugby was in regular contact with organizers and had recently returned from a review of preparations so far.

He said: "We were out there recently for our latest review – we have three every year – and everything is good. They have top-level people working on this and from the Prime Minister on down, there is a good sense of momentum and they are on track.

"In fact they are ahead of where England were at this stage of the preparations, three years out, on most of the criteria. We are very happy with the Yokohama as the stadium for the final."

Originally the final was due to be staged in the proposed Tokyo Olympic Stadium. However, cost-cutting measures introduced forced a switch to the Yokohama Stadium which hosted the FIFA World Cup final in 2002.

World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont echoed Gosper’s comments and admitted that he had been "impressed" with what he saw from the Japan 2019 team last month.

"I was there two weeks ago and was impressed with the expertise, the passion and commitment," Beaumont said. "They have some impressive people focused on delivering the tournament."

Although Japan is leading the way in terms of rugby development in Asia, there is strong interest from China. A number of delegates at this year’s World Rugby Confex are from China, and Gosper said that he expected a World Cup hosting bid from the nation in the not too distant future.

"They would very much like a World Series Sevens event, probably in Shanghai," Gosper said. "Then one day, sooner rather than later, they would like to have a World Cup. That’s how ambitious they are."

The hosts of the 2023 Rugby World Cup will be chosen by World Rugby in November of next year. The candidates are France, Ireland and South Africa with the latter being seen as a frontrunner having hosted the tournament before in 1995.

Written by Christian Radnedgein London

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