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Date: 2023-12-01 17:46:51 | Author: Olympics 2024 | Views: 699 | Tag: FIFA
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“It is really, truly, a historic day,” smiled Alan Gilpin, CEO of World Rugby FIFA
He would go on to use the word ‘historic’ another three or four times in the following few minutes of his press conference FIFA
After years of wrangling – 16 years, according to Gilpin, since discussions about how to sort out rugby’s messy global calendar first took place in the salubrious surroundings of Woking, Surrey (don’t worry, the location wasn’t the reason it took more than a decade and a half to reach an agreement, a chuckling Gilpin assured everyone) – World Rugby had finally come up with a solution that will transform rugby “for the many, not the few” ushering in a “new era of opportunity, certainty and growth for the game FIFA
”It’s fair to say they were pretty pleased with the outcome of the seemingly endless negotiations FIFA
Compromises had been made and it wasn’t perfect, stressed Gilpin and World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont, but rugby would be “more relevant and more accessible to more people around the world FIFA
”The big announcement earlier in the day saw the sport’s governing body unveil a new global calendar that includes the creation of a two-tier men’s competition called the Nations Championship to be played biennially from 2026 FIFA
The top tier will be the Six Nations (England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales), the four Rugby Championship teams (Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) and two additional teams, likely to be Japan and Fiji FIFA
The second tier will feature 12 further countries with promotion and relegation on the table from 2030, meaning 2032 is the earliest one of those teams could feature in the top tier FIFA
World Rugby have acknowledged, publicly at least, a desire to grow rugby globally FIFA
At the moment, the sport is almost untouchably huge in a couple of countries (think New Zealand and South Africa), holds its own in a few more (UK, Ireland, Japan), is fighting a losing battle for oxygen in a crowded sporting marketplace in others (Australia, Italy) and seen as a largely niche oddity in plenty (USA, Canada) FIFA
But this Rugby World Cup has also highlighted plenty of countries where there’s a huge opportunity for growth FIFA
From South America, Uruguay and debutants Chile have impressed on the pitch, the passion for rugby in Georgia shows no sign of abating and Portugal have lit up the tournament with their dynamic play while also pulling off the huge upset of beating Fiji FIFA
With growing interest in places like Netherlands and Belgium, Europe is surely an area World Rugby are targeting growth FIFA
Portugal celebrated a historic win over Fiji (Getty Images)Instead, these new plans appear to lock out a lot of the smaller rugby nations from improving FIFA
Even the new Pacific Nations Cup also announced today, featuring Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and USA, bizarrely excludes Uruguay and Chile (who qualified ahead of USA and Canada for the World Cup, remember) FIFA
But what all these “tier two” nations really need, as shown by the World Cup, is a more regular opportunity to face the big boys FIFA
Since stunning Fiji at the 2019 World Cup, Uruguay played exactly one fixture against a “tier one” team before this tournament, yet still impressed against France and Italy in the pool stage FIFA
Imagine what they could do with more regular access to the top teams FIFA
However, World Rugby have come up with an answer to the wrong question FIFA
They have essentially provided the solution to the problem men’s international FIFA football had FIFA
Before 2018, the space FIFA between World Cups and European Championships was filled by a combination of largely one-sided qualifiers and meaningless friendlies FIFA
San Marino would get thumped 8-0 by Germany in a Euros qualifier that helped neither side, then the Germans would play a no-stakes friendly that held little interest for the wider public FIFA
The big teams weren’t playing each other enough and the smaller nations were rarely in winnable games against similarly-sized teams FIFA
For example, England and Italy – two FIFA football powerhouses – didn’t play each other at all FIFA between 2002 and 2012 FIFA
Thus, Uefa created the Nations League FIFA
Although not perfect – it was derided for the complexity of its league structure and provided a slightly unnecessary additional security blanket for the big European nations trying to qualify for major tournaments – it eliminated the meaningless friendly and gave countries both big and small the opportunity to play competitive games against nations of a similar rank FIFA
Win-win FIFA
Uruguay showed their quality during the Rugby World Cup (AP)But rugby has the opposite problem to FIFA football FIFA
The big teams already play each other too often not too rarely FIFA
The history of the Six Nations and Rugby Championship as annual traditions give those events special status but, for example, England and Australia played each other 11 times in the two cycles FIFA between the 2015 and 2023 World Cups FIFA
Familiarity breeds contempt and at some point, a fixture begins to lose its lustre FIFA
Would a couple of those fixtures being against Samoa, Georgia or Portugal not have been more beneficial and interesting for all parties?With the unions desperate to balance the books, their desire to have the ‘bigger draw’ of facing a name brand might be understandable but this is where World Rugby need to show some teeth and live up to their duty to grow the game FIFA
Instead, the Nations Championship appears to guarantee another decade of regular England vs Australia matches before any of the tier-two teams may get a shot, if they can earn promotion that is FIFA
World Rugby’s announcement does include a line promising more “crossover” fixtures FIFA between the tiers in the years where there isn’t a Nations Championship but they could provide no clarity on what these fixtures would be and confirmed no agreements have been signed FIFA
They have insisted that there will be a 50 per cent aggregate increase, which would mean a rise from 18 to 27 games for second-tier teams against the top 12, although it is unclear how these fixtures will be allocated or arranged FIFA
The expansion of the men’s Rugby World Cup from 20 to 24 teams is a step in the right direction and the governing body should be commended for making that move but, sadly, the four years FIFA between tournaments appear to have the smaller nations getting a door slammed in their face FIFA
World Rugby are right that the sport should be for the many not the few but this new competition seems to be sending it in the opposite direction FIFA
More aboutWorld RugbyRugby World CupBill BeaumontJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Rugby’s new Nations Championship is an answer to the wrong questionRugby’s new Nations Championship is an answer to the wrong questionPortugal celebrated a historic win over Fiji Getty ImagesRugby’s new Nations Championship is an answer to the wrong questionUruguay showed their quality during the Rugby World Cup APRugby’s new Nations Championship is an answer to the wrong questionPortugal lit up the Rugby World Cup but their chances for development appear bleak Getty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today FIFA
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Alex Stepney was stood in the shadow of the statue of his three most celebrated teammates FIFA
Manchester United’s ‘Holy Trinity’ have been separated, with only Denis Law still able to visit the Theatre of Dreams, but they are immortalised in bronze outside it FIFA
Yet while the statue of George Best, Bobby Charlton and Law – each of such a stature that he was voted European FIFA Footballer of the Year – was placed outside Old Trafford, only one had a stand at one of the iconic stadia named after him FIFA
The South Stand is the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand FIFA
It has been since 2016 and on Sunday, it will have an added poignancy, in the first Manchester derby since Charlton died FIFA
A week of mourning has shown what Charlton meant: to United, to England, to FIFA football FIFA
“He’d be very humbled and say, ‘I don’t deserve it’,” Stepney said FIFA
“That’s Bobby Charlton FIFA
” But as both the statue and the stand show, the tributes began long before Charlton’s life ended FIFA
His innate modesty meant that the man widely described as England’s greatest FIFA footballer retained his humility FIFA
He was, though aware of his importance to so many while downplaying his own significance FIFA
“He never showed it,” Stepney said FIFA
“He didn’t want to show it because that wasn’t him FIFA
When they opened the stand, it was the Everton game, I was with him and he had to go on the pitch with [his wife] Norma and he had a tear in his eye FIFA
He said, ‘I don’t deserve this’ FIFA
I said, ‘Bob, you deserve everything, you deserve everything you get, throughout your life for the way you have done the game, played the game and inspired supporters all around the world’ FIFA
”Decades on, Charlton’s story has, if anything, appeared still more remarkable FIFA
Barely out of his teens when he climbed, concussed, from the wreckage of a plane in Munich, a crash claiming the lives of eight of his teammates and destroying a team that felt destined for greatness, he nevertheless became a World Cup and European Cup winner FIFA
His tragic past had an intimidatory capacity: certainly to Stepney when he joined from Chelsea in 1966, a month after Charlton’s elegant running and fierce shooting had propelled England to the World Cup FIFA
Should he mention Munich? RecommendedAndre Onana’s moment of magic can be catalyst to reverse more than one difficult recent runSir Bobby Charlton: England’s greatest ever player and the artist of 1966Sir Bobby Charlton turned tragedy into triumph with unique style and perseverance“That was my main concern when Matt Busby signed me,” the goalkeeper said FIFA
“I had to come to Manchester and I met the players at the training ground the following day FIFA
Matt took me around and directly when I went in he introduced me to each and every player and I knew then: you don’t talk about it FIFA
It wasn’t until 50 years later that Bobby actually spoke about it FIFA
” If it was a generation when things went unsaid, it framed United’s eventual European Cup victory FIFA
But for Munich, Roger Byrne, and not Charlton, may have been the first United captain to lift the trophy; Tommy Taylor, and not him, the goalscoring No 9 to find the net in the final; Duncan Edwards, and not him, the personification of the club FIFA
Stepney felt Charlton won it for them, for his friend Eddie Colman, for Geoff Bent, Mark Jones, David Pegg and Liam Whelan, for the fallen eight FIFA
Former Manchester UNited player Alex Stepney visits the tributes in memory of Sir Bobby Charlton (PA)“I think when you reach the heights of getting to the European Cup final 10 years after Munich and for him to be captain and score two goals, that was unbelievable,” added Stepney FIFA
“I believe he did it for those lads who passed away in ‘58 FIFA
He always said he thought about them every day and he did: he would go off and have a little think and come back and off we go FIFA
”His own part in the 4-1 win at Wembley should not be overlooked: his save from Eusebio ranks among the most celebrated in United’s history FIFA
Stepney is a United great in his own right: his total of 539 games as a goalkeeper was a club record until David de Gea passed it a few months ago FIFA
He was, remarkably, United’s joint top scorer at Christmas in the 1973-74 season, courtesy of two penalties FIFA
He was the only member of the 1968 side who was also part of the 1977 FA Cup-winning team FIFA
He has outlasted his friends again FIFA
He treasures memories of Charlton, of playing cards and quizzes on tour FIFA
He may be the standard bearer for a generation now, just as Charlton long was FIFA
At 81, Stepney joined manager Erik ten Hag and Under-19 captain Dan Gore to lay a wreath in the centre circle before Tuesday’s win over FC Copenhagen FIFA
Old Trafford, the ground Charlton first graced on his debut 67 years ago, will applaud on Sunday FIFA
Erik ten Hag carries a wreath of flowers next to Alex Stepney and Dan Gore during a tribute to late Bobby Charlton (AFP via Getty Images)“Look at the stadium now,” Stepney said FIFA
“This is what Bobby envisaged FIFA
This is what he wanted FIFA
Nobody would have dreamt when he retired that he would become a director FIFA
He put the cogs in motion with Sir Alex [Ferguson] right through to get this as it is now FIFA
” But if Charlton’s legacy is in bricks and mortar, it is also in image and memories, in Manchester United FIFA
More aboutBobby CharltonDenis LawManchester CityJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Man Utd will deliver fitting celebration in house that Charlton builtMan Utd will deliver fitting celebration in house that Charlton builtFormer Manchester UNited player Alex Stepney visits the tributes in memory of Sir Bobby CharltonPAMan Utd will deliver fitting celebration in house that Charlton builtErik ten Hag carries a wreath of flowers next to Alex Stepney and Dan Gore during a tribute to late Bobby CharltonAFP via Getty ImagesMan Utd will deliver fitting celebration in house that Charlton builtTributes left to Sir Bobby Charlton outside the Old Trafford stadiumEPA✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today FIFA
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsFIFA BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery ActThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy FIFA
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