World cup of Rugby at XV 2011

The edition 2011 of the World cup of Rugby to XV will be held in New Zealand, of the September 24th to the November 5th 2011. It will be the 7th edition of the world cup and the second which will proceed, at least partially, in New Zealand. The first edition, disputed in 1987, had been held at the same time in New Zealand and Australia.

Choice of the organizing country

New Zealand was retained as country host at a meeting of the International Rugby Board (IRB) which was held with Dublin the November 17th 2005. The vote was carried out in two turns, the competitor project suggested by the South Africa was eliminated with the 1st turn and that presented by the Japan, however very solid and supported by the Japanese government, was eliminated with the second turn (13 votes for New Zealand and 8 for Japan).

This decision was criticized like making the good share with ten the most powerful federations, shown to remain between them, with the detriment of the international expansion of Rugby. Questioned on the subject during the World cup in France, the trainer of the All Blacks, Graham Henry, ensured to prefer a final stage with 20 teams, just like his Australian counterpart John Connolly.

Course of the final stage

The New Zealanders insist that only sixteen teams are retained instead of twenty in 2007 because of their limited infrastructures. The New Zealand federation knows financial problems which she does not wish to amplify while organizing of the meetings between the best selections and the much lower teams having only little sporting interest and which would not fill the stages.

The formula considered would see the teams classified in the first three places of four hens of the first tower of the final stage of the World cup 2007, that is to say twelve teams, qualified directly instead of eight per 2007. The four other places would be allotted at the conclusion of matches of qualification. If it has the merit to simplify the things for the best, this formula complicates considerably the task of the others by multiplying the meetings of qualification. 86 national selections (115 recognized federations) being engaged for the eliminating heats of the World cup 2007, that would amount choosing 4 teams among 82 candidates.

Another track would have consisted in organizing a World B parallel with World has with 16 teams, but it is also very expensive. The final decision will be made between the 17 and on October 19th, 2007, at the time of a special congress of IRB to Paris.

The final will take place Sunday October 23rd 2011 with the Eden Park of Auckland. The choice of the date was dictated by the fact that this day fall in the middle of a Week-end prolonged in New Zealand, and the day before the Ploughing Day (Labor Day).

The Steering Committee, Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd, will be directed by the former managing director of the New Zealand Federation of cricket, Martin Snedden. Old international of cricket in the years 1980 become lawyer, Snedden took his functions in May 2007. International Board (IRB, supreme body of the play) announces that the three first of each hen at the time from World the 2007 will be directly qualified for the following edition in 2011.

Until now only the quarters of finalists of the World cup were exempted qualifications. This reform thus changes from 8 to 12 the number of teams directly qualified for the following edition. " That will be used to reduce the number potential of matches international which will have to be played the years preceding a tournament by these teams which did not dispute the quarterfinals of the preceding World cup, thus reducing the clogging of the calendriers" , explains the president of the IRB, Syd Millar, in an official statement.

The format of the qualifications also will be to him modified, with the creation of a world Trophy organized the year preceding the World cup which will make it possible to in addition distribute a certain number of tickets to those allotted to the winners of the regional Championships. The exact distribution of the qualificative places will depend in particular on the maintenance or not of the number of committed teams (20) at the time of the next edition of the World cup in New Zealand in 2011. Meetings must have place on this subject in August and September. A reduction with 16 teams is also considered.

Teams qualified for the final stage

The 3 first of each group of the back issue in France (2007) are qualified of office, that is to say according to their classification in hen phase in 2007:

, Quarter of Finalist 2007 (also organizing country)

, World champion contains of them 2007
, Vice world champion contains 2007
of it, 3rd of the world cup 2007
, 4th of the world cup 2007

, Quarter of Finalist 2007
, Quarter of Finalist 2007
, Quarter of Finalist 2007

, 3rd of its hen, automatically qualified
, 3rd of its hen, automatically qualified
, 3rd of its hen, automatically qualified
, 3rd of its hen, automatically qualified

Cities selected and infrastructures

A dozen enclosures are necessary for the good progress of the competition. The New Zealand federation did not confirm the stages selected yet, but six of them seem about certain to be selected. Six or seven others are also in string. The majority of them will know renovation works and of enlarging. Thus, the Eden Park of Auckland should see its capacity passing from 45.000 to 60.000 places. At the present time, only Eden Park exceeds the 40.000 places (against 7 at the time of the World cup 2007 in France). The number of tickets to be sold for the whole of the matches should be established to 1.700.000, against 2.400.000 for the World cup 2007, that is to say nearly 30% less.

Probable stages

Possible stages

Composition and calendar of the groups

the group has will be made up of Australia and South Africa, the group B of England and Argentina, the group C of France and Scotland and the group D of New Zealand and the Islands Fiji (operating process of the various editions).

Final stage

External bond

Information on the World cup 2011

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