Irb Looks To Reduce Rwc To 16 Teams

A number of the minnow rugby playing nations are likely to be dumped from the
Rugby World Cup after the International Rugby Board revealed plans to reduce the
number of teams in the tournament to 16.

The current Rugby World Cup is likely to be the last featuring 20 countries
with the IRB set to discuss a proposal to introduce a second level tournament
for the lesser nations at a meeting in Dublin in November.

The new format could be in place in time for the World Cup finals in New
Zealand in 2011.

Twelve teams would qualify as seeds with the remaining four places to be
determined through the second-level tournament.

Those games would be held a year before the main event with promotion and
relegation between the tournaments in subsequent years.

‘It’s quite possible but not certain, we’re reviewing everything,’ commented
IRB head of communications Greg Thomas.

‘The main finals could stay at 20 or they could be cut to 16. We know what’s
working at the World Cup, but we are also looking at having 10 or 12 teams in a
tournament the year before.

‘That would give all qualifiers at least 12 months of preparation knowing
that they will be playing in a World Cup.

‘This year with the repechage, some sides didn’t know they’d be in until six
months before – that’s not long enough, people must have a real chance to
prepare.’