Adelaide is set to be “unfair” in the 2018 World Cup in Qatar, a report says.
A draft report from the World Rugby Regulatory Organization said the tournament’s governing body would likely not be able to give its own teams adequate time to prepare.
“I believe that the World Cup is an event that is fair and will provide an environment in which the participation of domestic players can be judged,” the report says, adding that South Australia’s team “could easily be unfairly targeted”.
“The South Australian Rugby Union is aware of the concerns raised by the ICC (International Cricket Council) and the World Super Rugby (World Cup) Committee, and has taken the necessary action to address the issue,” the draft report said.
“The SA Rugby Union has also undertaken a comprehensive review of the game and the role of the SA Rugby Players’ Association (SPAPA) in the game.”
“We have also established a partnership with the SA Government to ensure the best possible conditions for SA players to participate in the World Championship.”
The draft report was made public on Tuesday ahead of the World Cups opening ceremony on March 6.
South Australia is set for a two-month break before hosting the World XV in Adelaide on April 9.
In 2018, the SA government also introduced the first “no-show” policy for SA teams in order to ensure they could compete for the World XI.
It also introduced “the No-Show Rule” in 2019, which allowed teams to miss the World Championships if they could not attend the tournament.
In 2019, the South Australian Government said it would not “be able to provide a compelling reason” for missing the World Series, but it has said it is now in discussions with the ICC and World Rugby to ensure there is a “better system” in place for South Australia.
South Africa’s top four players have already been awarded spots in the team, while the top three spots will go to the top six players from each of the eight countries.
South Australian Rugby, which has a World Cup squad of nine players, had earlier said the World Games would not be “too much of a burden” on the SA team, which had “significant support” from players in the country.
Topics:rugby,sport,cricket,sports-organisations,south-australia
