China wants to host Rugby World Cup

[Jaguares]

China has ambitions to host the Rugby World Cup, the sport's CEO told AFP on Sunday as he unveiled an Alibaba tie-up aimed at transforming the game in the world's most populous nation.

Under the new deal, Alibaba's sports division Alisports will support a revamp of China's grassroots rugby and competitions, and increase the sport's visibility through its Internet platforms.

World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper said a Chinese stop on the sevens world series was now a possibility -- as was staging the sport's pinnacle competition, the Rugby World Cup.

"I think one day, for sure," he told AFP after signing the deal at the Hong Kong Sevens, when asked about the chances of China holding the World Cup.

"We can't put a date on that but I think if over the next 10 years, the development programmes from grassroots through to pathways for players into the Olympics and into top 15s teams, and some big events in China... inspire the young kids and so on, there's absolutely no reason why China wouldn't host one day a Rugby World Cup.

"I know they have that ambition, and it's a good ambition to have."

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/china-wants-host-world-cup-075804388.html

 

[Bada-Bing!]

I think a football World Cup will happen in China before a rugby one.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

It should go to US Canada and Argentina before China IMO.

 

[RoosTah]

The Rugby World Cup should certainly go to the US, Canada or Europe again. I've long wondered how Rugby can thrive in places like France and even have a decent presence in Italy but have no stature of note in either Germany or Spain...

All the same, having a massive cash-cow like Alibaba get behind Rugby in China is great news. I remember hearing a few years back that China had made rugby the official team sport of their armed forces, so longer term the game could do very well there.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

It should go to US Canada and Argentina before China IMO.

cant argue with that, they've paid their dues

7's is a good entry me thinks, surely before we look at sending a world cup to china we should start playing some exhibition games there?

 

[Bee]

The Rugby World Cup should certainly go to the US, Canada or Europe again. I've long wondered how Rugby can thrive in places like France and even have a decent presence in Italy but have no stature of note in either Germany or Spain...

Zero media coverage, easy.
The first international match in Cologne (against Spain) in 25 years showed, people do enjoy Rugby. It was quite a huge turnout in a sold out ground.

 

[RoosTah]

Zero media coverage, easy.
The first international match in Cologne (against Spain) in 25 years showed, people do enjoy Rugby. It was quite a huge turnout in a sold out ground.

Media coverage tends to reflect public interest, so if there's little coverage it's because the interest isn't there. That said, I've read that Rugby has a longer history in Germany than soccer, and were one of the stronger nations earlier in history, but that the Nazis banned it for some reason (they thought it was too "British" or something - as though soccer isn't lol).

I did read a good quote recently about why Germans ought to be good at rugby: "it's full of complex rules and technicalities, intermittently interrupted by bouts of violence and aggression" lol

 

[Bee]

Media coverage tends to reflect public interest, so if there's little coverage it's because the interest isn't there. That said, I've read that Rugby has a longer history in Germany than soccer, and were one of the stronger nations earlier in history, but that the Nazis banned it for some reason (they thought it was too "British" or something - as though soccer isn't lol).

I did read a good quote recently about why Germans ought to be good at rugby: "it's full of complex rules and technicalities, intermittently interrupted by bouts of violence and aggression" lol

I tend to disagree.
How should people get into Rugby, when they do not know that it is being played here.
Plus it is a 100% amateur sport here with even the players of our top clubs having to work for their livings in an ordinary job.
You always have some peaks around World Cups, which shows the interest is there.
It's hard to generate some money in sports besides football here, as it dominates everything.
Same problem in all sports.
Nazis did not ban it, it has not been played in WWII, like other sports, too.
Last championship has been played out 1940 and they re-started Rugby in 1947.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I think a lot of Nations must be in front of China in hosting the World Cup:

Ireland
Italy
Argentina
USA
Canada
Pacific Island (Combined)

They have after all participated at the World Cup...

 

[RoosTah]

I tend to disagree.
How should people get into Rugby, when they do not know that it is being played here.
Plus it is a 100% amateur sport here with even the players of our top clubs having to work for their livings in an ordinary job.
You always have some peaks around World Cups, which shows the interest is there.
It's hard to generate some money in sports besides football here, as it dominates everything.
Same problem in all sports.
Nazis did not ban it, it has not been played in WWII, like other sports, too.
Last championship has been played out 1940 and they re-started Rugby in 1947.

I guess the question is a bit chicken and egg... soccer didn't start out controlling the sporting landscape, so why did Rugby fail to become popular?

Why do you suppose Germans can't support anything but soccer? I find it interesting that in lots of other countries - Australia being one of the best examples - multiple professional football codes can thrive at a relatively high level.

In Australia professional players in Australian Football, Rugby League, Rugby Union and Cricket are all likely to be able to command relatively high salaries at the elite level (not by Euro soccer standards, but then there's only 24 million people in Australia), yet in German it seems like if you don't play soccer then everything else is close to irrelevant.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

I think a lot of Nations must be in front of China in hosting the World Cup:

Ireland
Italy
Argentina
USA
Canada
Pacific Island (Combined)

They have after all participated at the World Cup...

Pacific Islands will never get a world cup, just dont have the stadiums or the money to build them

I've said before, an easy way to get meaningful games played in these countries is for EVERY team (possibly except the hosts) to have to qualify for the world cup. eastern and western hemisphere pools. so for example, the AB's would have to play japan, china, USA et al home and away at some point every four years


Rugby champs goes to bi annually to free up every second year for world cup qualifiers.

the actual teams that make the world cup wont change very quickly but these third tier teams will actually have something to really fight for when they play their qualifiers

 

[Bee]

I don't like the qualifying system anyway.
Makes it more difficult for small countries to qualify, which simply does not make sense.
Just like in football.