Tokyo (AFP)
Tournament Director Alan Gilpin said on Tuesday that the cancellation of three World Rugby Cup matches in Japan on Saturday and Sunday, due to Typhoon Hagibis, was "the right decision".
"It was the right decision and the right decision, we think deeply that we did the right thing," Alan Gilpin insisted at a World Rugby press conference in Tokyo. federations had expressed their dissatisfaction.
World Rugby announced Thursday the cancellation of matches New Zealand - Italy and England - France scheduled two days later, respectively to Toyota and Yokohama, while the arrival of Typhoon Hagibis was announced on the region around Tokyo.
A third game, Namibia-Canada, in Kamaishi, was canceled Sunday after the typhoon, because of the risk of landslides and floods.
The cancellation of New Zealand - Italy, synonymous with a draw (0-0), had sparked criticism from the Italians who should have beaten the All Blacks with a bonus point to reach the quarterfinals.
"If New Zealand had (needed) four or five points against us, (the match) would not have been canceled," Italian captain Sergio Parisse said.
In addition, the team and the Scottish federation had pressured World Rugby, even threatening to seize the courts, so that the match against Japan takes place at all costs, Sunday or another day. The match finally took place as planned; Japan beat (28-21) Scotland who was eliminated.
"We have not been influenced by any federation" for decision-making, said Brett Gosper, the managing director of World Rugby. "We were not influenced by conversations or comments, we made a decision based on what we were going to face."
Regarded as one of the most violent typhoons in Japan for decades, Hagibis, which struck the center and east of the archipelago on Saturday, killed nearly 70 people. Fifteen people were still missing on Tuesday.
© 2019 AFP