“I’ve been here since 12 p.m., and the Springbok [Sevens] don’t play until 22:33,” a fan joked as he drank the last of his beer, referring to the Rugby World Cup Sevens schedule.
Both men’s and women’s teams play a straight knockout in this format, which is both cumbersome and brutal.
When World Rugby’s top brass were informed of the tournament’s general sentiment, they responded positively, stating that their investigation into the tournament will allow them to investigate the matter.
“This event is unique given the number of teams (40 in total), and we’ll consider the feedback we receive from players and spectators, but nothing is set in stone for the future,” said Alan Gilpin, CEO of World Rugby.
Of course, Gilpin cited the number of people entering through the turnstiles to show that the media was exaggerating the severity of the situation, but that people’s concerns were taken into account.
“It’s clear that there’s a demand for this based on the attendance over the weekend; it’s been a successful, vibrant event that offers something unique.”
Bill Beaumont, World Rugby’s chairman, was also singing from the same hymn book.
“We constantly evaluate the format of each tournament and conduct a post-event debrief to determine how we can improve the experience for the players,” the leader said.
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