jaycee_111 says...

yamahakiwi : Yes loads of WC pool games had cheap tickets and many did not sell out! This was in NZ a rugby mad country and they could not sellout the quarter finals either. The ticket prices are set to gain the money the IRB wants to garner from the tournament the prices will be roughly the same in Argentina so where are the crowds of football supporters in a cash strapped country going to pay that kind of money for a game they don?t watch if Argentina is only in 5 or 6 games max and football tickets are about 5 times cheaper than the lowest priced pool game seat in RWC? Your point about fans from all over South America coming is also not viable as most people have no idea what the game is, I know I have been there to referee. Europeans will come just as they did for NZ but not that many e.g. Scotland England struggled to sell out, not even sure it did, Argentina is till a long way away. You quote RWC7s in Moscow I agree that won?t be a sellout but the IRB don?t rely on the income from that to fund the game infact they rely on the income from the main WC to fund the 7s RWC.Japan maybe a disaster too I agree however 2 things are in their favour there large companies willing to pay sponsorship and you can get a lot more for the ticket money as prices are so high over there for everything unlike Argentina where football tickets at very cheap so selling an event that requires people to pay 4 to 5 times the face value of an average football ticket for cheap seat in a meaningless pool game is not going to happen. Istill agree though Japan has disaster written all over it.

Posted 08:08 12th June 2012

atg77 says...

Is this the same Argetina whose fans have to be caged up to stop from throwing things on the pitch? Perhaps I'm going back a bit far but I can never forget the time the Wallabies went there are got consistantly pelted the objects from the crowd. @hellovante... exactly... imperial days are over... so why would you support Argentina conquering an island of peoples who want to be a part of Britain?

Posted 00:49 11th June 2012

Kawasakifreak says...

Good to see a largely positive reply to Argentina holding the RWC. On this I think the legacy for rugby would be far more important than short-term financial goals eg: filling stadia. Football took the risk in the USA with similar results at first but quite soon after it acted as a springboard for football in the US.

Eyes on the (long-term) prize should take president over short-term financial interests.

Posted 21:00 09th June 2012

hellovanite says...

Having said that I do understand both sides of the argument

Posted 03:01 09th June 2012

yamahakiwi says...

BTW Jaycee, if you're really worried about filling stadiums here's two big contenders. 1) RWC7s 2013 in Moscow at a 76,000 capacity stadium with almost no PR work done so far by a union that scheduled almost all of its domestic league fixtures this season on weekdays! That could be one big empty stadium next year and a big embarrasment to the IRB as the biggest 7s event coming into Rio 2016. There is a very good 30,000 seat stadium (and without a darned running track too) in Moscow that would've been much more suitable and realistic in terms of crowd projections.

2) RWC2019 Japan. Italy and Argentina would've been a better bet. While Italy and Argentina have proved they can get huge crowds. Japan has not. They struggled to sell out Australia v NZ a couple of years ago at a 42,000 capacity stadium. As someone who lived there until recently and has followed their rugby since the 80s, their union has little to no idea how to promote the game and there is little rugby on the major free to air TV networks. Having seen a similarly amateurish Japan Basketball Fed fail dismally (most games struggled to be half-full and only a couple of Japan games were broadcast free to air) in hosting the 2006 FIBA World Champs even with top pro players in attendance, we should be very worried about a repeat of that in 2019 unless the JFRU shows more professionalism and vision. Heck I was a high school teacher there in 2007 and most of the boys in the school rugby team didn't even know there was an RWC on and didn't even know most of the Japan team players! That's how well the JRFU interacts with its stakeholders.

The only good news for Japan is that the organising committee just announced includes a vice president from the much more savvy JFA involved in the 2002FIFA WC who hopefully will provide some good direction and advice. Whether the old boys in the JRFU listen is another matter!

Posted 01:03 09th June 2012

melkdave says...

@Jatcee111

WE are talking about a RWC 12-16 years from now .By then i Argentinia might be one of the power houses of the game ,as they will be totally familar with the ABs -Bokkes and Wallabies thru the Rugby Championship.Also Argentians are a very passionate and proud people who i feel would come out and support all the games

Posted 22:31 08th June 2012

jaycee_111 says...

Considering NZ failed to fill a couple of stadiums in the quarter finals of the last world cup what chance have Argentina got of filling stadia in general and generating the massive profits the IRB demand, if you bought any tickets for the last world cup you will realise how impossible it will be to sell games over there at the prices the IRB demand. If IRB don't get assurances they will get massive profits to ¿fund the game for the next 4 years¿ they will not give it to a country and there is no chance the locals would pay so much to see a game not involving Argentina so no chance of the tournament going there I am afraid. Would have loved to go there would have been fun I reckon.

Posted 07:56 08th June 2012

bk47 says...

I like this attitude from Argentina. Nothing wrong with going for gold would be awesome for them to host. Also I can't wait to see them in the rugby championship (god I hate that name!) they bring something new to a stall competition

Posted 02:09 08th June 2012

Kawasakifreak says...

Argentina & Italy for future RWC - good idea.

Posted 18:54 07th June 2012

melkdave says...

Good for them ,lets hope they get one of those RWCs,it would certinally help the game grow

Posted 17:26 07th June 2012