Rugby

New RWC 2021 dates confirmed

May 12, 2021 10:17 am

The Fijiana 15s will now have more than a year to prepare for Rugby World Cup 2021.

This follows World Rugby’s confirmation of the revised tournament dates which will now see New Zealand host the tournament between 8 October-12 November, next year.

The World Cup was supposed to kick off in July but it was postponed in March due to the uncertainties brought by the pandemic.

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Fiji is in Pool C with South Africa, France and England.

The extension of the tournament window, also allows for a revamped format that will see all matches take place on Saturdays and Sundays.

With the ambition of super-charging the schedule for players, fans and the host nation, the tournament window will be extended from 35 to 43 days resulting in all teams having a minimum of five rest days between matches.

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont says they’re fully committed to accelerating the women’s game at all levels.

He says longer rest periods between matches for all teams is further commitment to delivering comprehensive player welfare standards at RWC 2021.

International Rugby Players appointee to the RWC Board, Melodie Robinson, says while it’s disappointing that the 2021 tournament had to be postponed, the positive is that they’ve been able to ensure the 2022 event and subsequent Rugby World Cups will have a minimum five-day turnaround for players.