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'You can plan for it' - World Cup organisers ready for disaster in Japan

The All Blacks at Ajinomoto Stadium last year. (Getty Images)

Rugby World Cup organisers are concentrating their efforts on contingency planning given their host country Japan’s vulnerability when it comes to natural disasters.

Japan is vulnerable to extreme weather in September, when the tournament will be taking place, tournament director Alan Gilpin said in an interview with AFP.

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In September last year a pair of typhoons hit the country, knocking out Osaka Airport and forcing public transport to be cancelled in Tokyo.

An earthquake also hit up north, claiming dozens of lives.

“A lot of what we will do in the coming six months is contingency planning,” Gilpin told AFP.

“It would appear that it’s that first period of the tournament — when it is still typhoon season — that we’re likely to have some issues.

“That is the busiest part of the tournament so we’ve got to be ready.”

Exactly one year after typhoon Trami hit Japan, five key matches will be played, with Australia set to meet Wales in Tokyo and hosts Japan up against the rising Ireland.

Gilpin said it was still possible to make plans for the unpredictable and potentially dangerous weather.

“Our view is that you can plan for it,” he said.

“You’ve just got to make sure you’ve worked through all those different permutations,” he said.

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Knockout matches can be postponed, but pool matches may be officially declared a draw if elements intervene, despite the standing of the respective competing countries.

Rugby World Cup City Guides – Kumamoto:

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J
JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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