Israel will face Netherlands in the next round of European qualification for Rugby World Cup 2015 after overcoming a spirited Luxembourg side 26-12 in the rain on Saturday.
More than 1,000 people braved the elements at Stade Josy Barthel to witness and cheer on a huge performance by Luxembourg, who are ranked 44 places below Israel on the IRB World Rankings. A virtuoso first-half performance by fly half Cillian Keane – one of 16 Luxembourg-born players in the squad – kept the home team in touch, going into half-time trailing by just four points, 9-13.
But, overall, Israel’s strength was too much for the home players. First half tries by fly half Amir Beutler and tight-head prop Matan Brosh set the foundation and three penalties from Ori Abutbul kept Luxembourg at bay. A late try by the robust and dynamic Michael Eli was enough to thwart the dreams of the home supporters.
It was an Israel performance that was far from perfect – they will need to improve ahead of the Netherlands game – but Luxembourg’s defence was aggressive and effective, forcing Israel into handling errors born out of hurried decisions made.
Although the VIP stand was filled with some of Luxembourg’s highest-profile elected officials, as well as the president of FIRA-AER Octavian Morariu, in some respects, the guest of honour at the stadium was the charismatic Webb Ellis Cup itself. A long queue of admirers before and after the match snaked through the main stand as Rugby fans waited patiently for a chance to take a picture with the iconic symbol of Rugby excellence.
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With less than two years to go before RWC 2015 kicks off in England, the global qualification process is really heating up. Israel will next play the Netherlands who saw off Lithuania, Malta, Croatia and Switzerland to top Division 2A at the halfway stage of the European Nations Cup 2014.
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About Rugby World Cup:
So far Rugby World Cup qualification has featured 82 nations. The qualifiers will comprise some 200 matches, made up of around 3,000 players across six continents, including the strategic markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China as well as right across the European Union.
Rugby participation has increased by 18 per cent since RWC 2007 owing to IRB investment that comes from RWC finances, the positive effect of being included in the programme for the Olympic Games 2016 and the global reach of the Game’s flagship tournament.
Rugby World Cup provides an international stage to promote Rugby and generates 95 per cent of the revenue the IRB invests in achieving its strategic goals, including growing the global Game. Therefore the success of the tournament is vital for achieving the IRB strategic goals.
England was awarded RWC 2015 as it offers a mature Rugby market which is likely to generate strong spectator numbers and significant financial returns. Large iconic venues, an experienced host Union, the UK major event infrastructure and a prime commercial Rugby market provide an ideal platform to host the Rugby World Cup.
This tournament also offers an important opportunity to continue the development of RWC tournament planning and delivery models and opportunities to grow the game in England and Europe.
Looking further ahead, growing the Game is a key consideration for RWC 2019 in Japan. Asia is a critical market for future growth and Japan is the traditional leader of Rugby in Asia. The JRFU has made significant professional developments in recent years and is well-placed to host such an important event.
A successful tournament in Japan has the potential to generate significant interest in the Game in Asia and ignite a lucrative commercial Rugby market. With 60 per cent of the global population and 80 per cent of the world’s youth living in Asia, this interest could have a considerable impact on the development of global Rugby.
Awarding RWC 2019 to Japan 10 years prior to delivery provides an adequate time scale, if used properly, to prepare the framework to host the tournament in a developing market.
The scale of Rugby World Cup and the importance of using RWC tournaments to achieve wider strategic goals of key stakeholders demand a clear strategic approach for each tournament. These must integrate the IRB goals with those of other key stakeholders, providing a framework for decision making and measuring success.
