Rugby Union

[ProfessorDavey]

I stand corrected: you can hold the draw before you know which teams are in it but it's a stupid idea.

I am really struggling to understand why the RWC feels the need to make the draw for the group stage so crazily early. Why is this necessary. The football world cup (with more teams, games and fans) seems to comfortably cope with making the draw 6 months before the tournament starts - this seems about right. But two and a half to three years ahead of time is just bonkers.

[Hope]

It's pretty obvious - to me at least - that we are talking about the draw for the group stage of the World Cup Finals, not the qualifying tournaments. You can't have the draw for the group stage of the finals before the qualifiers because you won't know who is going to be in the finals at that point.

I agree, jeremy, which is why I questioned the reference to 'the World Cup' in previous posts.  As I said in a previous post I pointed out the World Cup Tournament (regardless of the sport [apart from rugby]) starts long before any Finals draw.

[jeremyp]

I agree, jeremy, which is why I questioned the reference to 'the World Cup' in previous posts.  As I said in a previous post I pointed out the World Cup Tournament (regardless of the sport [apart from rugby]) starts long before any Finals draw.

Sorry Hope, but it is absolutely 100% clear to me exactly what the Prof was talking about. There was no need to question anything in that respect.

We are in the situation that South Africa and Argentina - and to an extent Australia - are in a bit of a slump and will certainly improve before the next tournament. If the seedings are based on current standings, we will probably end up with another group of death situation like the one containing Wales, Australia and England in the last tournament.  As things stand at the moment, you could have a group containing New Zealand, South Africa and France, which might be fine on current form but all of those teams have the potential to be in the top four in three years time.

[Hope]

Sorry Hope, but it is absolutely 100% clear to me exactly what the Prof was talking about. There was no need to question anything in that respect.

Since his original post, PD has clarified what he was saying.  I have also noted that I agree with his position on the Finals draw.

[ProfessorDavey]

I agree, jeremy, which is why I questioned the reference to 'the World Cup' in previous posts.  As I said in a previous post I pointed out the World Cup Tournament (regardless of the sport [apart from rugby]) starts long before any Finals draw.

You are still completely missing the point:

Last Football World Cup - draw for the group stages took place on 6th Dec 2013, first match 12 June 2014

Last Rugby World Cup - draw for the group stages took place on 3rd Dec 2012, first match 18 Sept 2015

So the draw for the RWC group stage groups took place over a year BEFORE that for the football World Cup for a tournament that took place 15 months AFTER the football World Cup.

[Nearly Sane]

And the draw has taken place

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39868565

[ProfessorDavey]

And the draw has taken place

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39868565

Over 2 years and 4 months before the tournament starts - insane!!