World Rugby demands new Japan venue list after stadium fiasco

Rugby's world body Thursday called on Japan to supply a list of confirmed venues for the 2019 World Cup after Tokyo's "disappointing" decision to remove the future national stadium from the line-up amid huge cost overruns.

World Rugby said it was giving the tournament's Japanese hosts until the end of September to come up with a "revised detailed host venue proposal that delivers exceptional team and fan experience, maximising opportunities for fans to be a part of rugby’s showcase event".

The governing body has also requested a fresh tournament budget that supplies "appropriate financial security".

The demands come after Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shocked World Rugby last month when he scrapped plans for the national stadium for the 2020 Olympics.

The stadium had been scheduled to host Rugby World Cup matches in 2019, including the showpiece final.

Abe said the $2 billion cost of the stadium was too high and a new design should be found. As a result, any new stadium will not be ready by 2019.

"Following... the Japanese government’s disappointing decision to remove the new national stadium from the inventory of Rugby World Cup 2019 host venues, World Rugby has set out a revised roadmap for the Japan Rugby 2019 organising committee to deliver key assurances regarding the successful delivery of the tournament," it said in a statement.

The governing body also added that the loss of the venue "has significant impact on the overall ticketing capacity and tournament budget".

The stadium fiasco has been a major embarrassment for Japan and Tokyo's Olympic organisers have found themselves under heavy pressure to deliver a new venue in time for the 2020 Games.

The International Olympic Committee demanded this week that Japan complete the redesigned stadium by January 2020, three months earlier than planned.

On Thursday, the rugby association added that it wanted "formal reassurance" on venues and budgets for the World Cup.

"World Rugby remains confident that the criteria can be met by the Japan Rugby 2019 Organising Committee and that the first Rugby World Cup in Asia will be a resounding success," it said.

In response, Japan's rugby organising committee said it was drafting fresh venue and budget plans that would satisfy the global body.

"Through our regular and frequent conversations with World Rugby, we are taking proactive actions," a committee spokeswoman told AFP.

Japan does have other stadiums that could host the event -- including one in Yokohama just south of Tokyo which staged the 2002 football World Cup final.

But there could be repercussions over reduced ticket revenues because any replacement venue would have fewer seats than the originally planned stadium.

Last month, World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset told AFP that there was no immediate question of moving the tournament from Japan.
Source: AFP