Japan to Keep Rugby World Cup After Olympic Stadium Fiasco

(ATR) World Rugby president Bernard Lapasset says the 2019 showpiece will not be moved from Japan despite the scrapping of the Tokyo Olympic stadium project.

In July, the proposed national stadium in Tokyo, set to be the centerpiece of the 2019 event and hub of the 2020 Olympics, was scrapped by the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe due to escalating costs. At more than $2 billion, it would have been the most expensive sports venue in the world.

The decision sparked fears that World Rugby could relocate the Rugby World Cup. Reports emerged this week that South Africa may be called upon to host the event should Japan’s choice of another Tokyo stadium not fulfill World Rugby’s expectations.

But Lapasset dismissed the notion that the first Rugby World Cup in Asia would not take place in Tokyo.

"Plan B? That is the wrong message," he told reporters at Twickenham in London four days before the opening of the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.

"We have no plan B for 2019. We are very confident of working with Japan. It is four years to go now and time to complete the process," he said.

Saying that Japan 2019 was "difficult for us" due to the Olympic stadium fiasco, he added: "The stadium was a big change, but now we progress to resolve this... [there has been] no contact with any other country."

There will be a lot to live up to in four years’ time, as organizers of England 2015 revealed that they had broken the record for ticket sales with 95 percent of them sold.

England 2015 managing director Stephen Brown confirmed that 2.3 million have been sold, surpassing the 2.25 million tickets bought for the previous European edition in France in 2007.

"We’re already the biggest tournament ever in terms of tickets sold," Brown said. "It shows the fantastic scale and fantastic interest and we will have a brilliant attendance.

Around 40,000 tickets are still available, he revealed.

"Another great success has been our ticket reselling platform. We’ve had 55,000 sold in a safe and secure way, which is a great success and first for this tournament," he told the press briefing.

Ticket sales will contribute to the overall commercial revenue, which World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper estimates at $369 million (£240m). Of this, television revenues would account for around 65 percent.

"That split tends to remain the same when the numbers have gone higher and we’re expecting a surplus to be invested back into World Rugby of in excess of around £150 million by the end of the tournament. So a very healthy commercial program," he added.

The 2015 Rugby World Cup begins on Friday at Twickenham when hosts England take on Fiji.

Reported in London by Christian Radnedge

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