1
Rugby World Cup could be set for expansion
By Sacha Pisani
The Rugby World Cup could increase to 24 teams by 2023 as the governing body considers expanding from 20 countries.
Japan will host the 2019 World Cup, with next year's tournament to feature 20 teams – New Zealand looking to claim a third successive title.
Canada, Kenya, Hong Kong and Germany will contest a round-robin play-off event in Marseille to decide who qualifies for the 2019 showpiece.
However, France 2023 could include four more nations, according to World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper.
"We're always looking from an expansive point of view rather than reducing so it's just a question of when rather than if," Gosper said.
"We want to make sure the teams are competitive enough to move to a 24-team tournament. We have assumed 20 for 2023 but we could change that between now and 2023.
"The tendency for us is to try and look to expand. It's about growing the global game - getting interest from fans and commercial interest in new markets.
"But you've got to make sure you've got the teams. We're definitely in an expansive mindset, is how I'd put it."
Amid concerns of a mismatch against the likes of the All Blacks at the World Cup, Gosper added: "We'll work hard after that team qualifies to ensure they've got all the technical coaches they need - as we do for each World Cup.
"We are confident that team that qualifies will be competitive enough, even against the All Blacks."
You may also like: Wallabies duo Beale and Samu ahead of Pumas test
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Shock contender emerges Wales head coach job
3
France change two for Ireland but stick with 7-1 bench tactic
4
Avoid a deal with Kalyn Ponga
5
Latest Comments
No, just an overly zealous fan who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Go to commentsOMG, my crypto savings, around $230k, just disappeared in a flash! I trusted this broker for months, and they screwed me over, refusing access to my trading account after I tried to pull out. I was lost, thinking there was no way I'd ever see that money again. I even tried a few "asset recovery hackers" who were useless and stole more from me with empty promises, sad. Then, I stumbled upon a review on Trustpilot from Jenny, someone I knew a little, and she'd had a similar nightmare with crypto scammers. She mentioned how she got help recovering her lost Bitcoin. My situation was even worse; it was USDT, a whopping $230k I had sent to this fake trader on Telegram, who promised a 300% ROI in three months, dumb me to believe that. I confided in my associate, and she introduced me to DUNENECTARWEBEXPERT on Telegram. They're a team of legit ethical hackers with tons of experience in private investigations and crypto recovery. Seriously, that referral from Jenny changed everything. I got back my lost money, and I can't stop emphasizing the breakthrough DUNENECTARWEBEXPERT has brought to my life. Suppose you are in any investment or review for gains platform. In that case, I highly suggest you contact DUNENECTARWEBEXPERT via Telegram to check their legitimacy because they will just keep asking you for deposits until you are wrecked financially and emotionally. Don't fall for these investment gimmicks, get in touch with DUNENECTARWEBEXPERT via Telegram to help you recover your lost money and crypto assets back from crooks.: support AT dunenectarwebexpert DOT com
Go to comments