Rugby World Cup expansion welcome but err on the side of caution
In the depths of the destructive World Rugby announcement that is set to partition the best rugby teams from the aspiring ones there was one shining light: the 2027 World Cup will have 24 teams rather than 20.
It is a move that has been long called for and should at least ease the pain that cutting many developing nations from playing the top sides will cause.
In the new format, the World Cup will change from four groups of five to six groups of four.
And instead of the top two sides going through to the quarter-finals, the four best third-place sides will join 12 automatic qualifiers in a round of 16.
But it is not all morris dancing and street parties, because the draw for the 2027 World Cup will still take place 21 months prior to the competition, in January 2026, and it will be a World Cup that’ll be played after the new Nations Cup comes in, which will banish – in all but name – the ability of tier two nations to compete with the best sides ahead of the tournament.
World Rugby is on the verge of making its global competition one that no one can prepare for, despite it appearing to be more accessible for potential entrants.
But looking beyond the doom and gloom there is a real benefit to expanding the tournament.
There were worries over the expansion of the football Women’s World Cup but this year’s edition did not see the blowout score lines that some had feared – suggesting that if you provide the opportunity for teams to develop knowing that there’s a spot in the tournament as a reward, they’ll prepare more diligently.
So it is possible to thrive in an expanded tournament.
In addition, the likes of Italy, Portugal and Uruguay could seriously challenge for a Rugby World Cup knockout match – and reach one – which in itself will generate a buzz around the game in those countries.
When Portugal winger Vincent Pinto was lighting up the pitches of France he ignited a love for his team in plenty of neutrals, a feat knockout World Cup rugby would only amplify.
And in a new expanded competition he could be doing the same in a knockout match, captivating his home country fans and developing the sport naturally.
But this relies on those sides being competitive, and the World Rugby plans for a new Nations Cup will spike the chances of many Tier Two nations from arriving at the competition prepared.
So while even the sport’s critics can praise rugby for this expansion and its surface level commitment to attempting to grow the game, the move must be done with caution.
Because unlike football or cricket, where good sides are left out through qualification at the expense of underdogs, all of rugby’s main contenders automatically qualify based on their position in prior World Cups.
This move goes some way to eradicate the tiered approach to the sport but it doesn’t go far enough to convince many that their voice is heard on an equal footing to the big boys.