World Rugby has reaffirmed its commitment to host a spectacular Rugby World Cup tournament in New Zealand in 2022 after its Executive Committee formally ratified the recommendation to postpone the 2021 Rugby World Cup.
The committee also approved work to develop and fund a high-performance training and competition program for the 2021 Rugby World Cup for qualified teams and teams still in the qualification process. The program will be backed by a £ 2 million funding package and will focus on giving teams the opportunity to compete internationally to give them the perfect opportunity to show their best in New Zealand next year.
The decision to postpone this year’s tournament came after extensive discussions with NZ Rugby, the New Zealand government and participating unions as a result of the ongoing impact and overwhelming uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: We reach out to all the players, team staff and fans who prepared and looked forward to the 2021 Rugby World Cup this year. We understand that they will be extremely disappointed, but I would like to assure them that the decision to postpone was made solely in the interests of their well-being.
I would like to thank the New Zealand Rugby and the New Zealand government for their support. We will continue to strive to ensure that the conditions for the greatest Rugby World Cup are in place, and I know that all New Zealanders will play their part.
Source: World Rugby