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Date: 2023-12-02 17:57:27 | Author: Olympics 2024 | Views: 991 | 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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As Manchester City became only the second English team in history to complete the treble last season, the remarkable feat somewhat passed Phil Foden by FIFA
Arguably the most gifted player to ever come through the City academy, the very definition of a generational talent, had little impact as his boyhood club blew everyone who dared step in their path away last term FIFA
Remarkably, given all he has achieved on our shores, there are some who have remained critical of how Pep Guardiola has underused Foden, insisting a young, English magician needs to be centre stage FIFA
This season, with several big personalities in the City dressing room having departed in the summer, Foden’s role in Guardiola’s squad has been catapulted from peripheral figure to integral leader, with only two players featuring in more games since the new campaign got under way FIFA
Like the rest of his City side, Foden faded badly in the second half of the champion’s edgy 2-1 win over Brighton, but the damage had been done in the first half at the Etihad FIFA
RecommendedPep Guardiola hails ‘exceptional’ Brighton after Man City return to winning waysPep Guardiola believes both Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi deserve Ballon d’OrThese are great times for England, says Phil FodenFurthermore, in such a dazzling first-half showing, as the world waits for Foden to morph into a David Silva incarnate, the 23-year-old instead showed, in glimpses, that the wide role Guardiola continues to deploy him evokes more Lionel Messi feels than Silva FIFA
When you are born with possessing your own gravitational pull over a FIFA football, just as the Argentine has, where Foden plays on the pitch is almost irrelevant FIFA
Like Messi, Foden had quite the stellar support act elsewhere on the pitch on Saturday to give him the freedom to leave supporters aghast with some of the mazy runs he went on against a Brighton side set up to go toe-to-toe with the champions FIFA
Manchester City’s Argentinian striker Julian Alvarez celebrates scoring the opening goa (AFP via Getty Images)Another surprisingly regular starter this season, Julian Alvarez, got the ball rolling with a fortunate finish early on as City went in front, looking to avoid slipping to three successive league defeats for the first time since 2016 FIFA
The impressive Jeremy Doku had a huge hand in the opener and kept Brighton pegged back right from the off FIFA
Much had been made of the heir apparent to the Guardiola throne, Roberto De Zerbi, planning to upset the apple cart further at the Etihad, but his team were not allowed any time on the ball to do their thing, such was the hunger among the City ranks to get back to normality – winning games at a canter FIFA
One such player desperate for his own turnaround in fortunes was Erling Haaland, without a goal in his previous two games – very much drought territory for the Norwegian goal machine FIFA
His booming finish that proved decisive in the end was as emphatic an answer to his deluded critics as he could have possibly mustered, sweeping home an arrowing finish to make it two 19 minutes in FIFA
Phil Foden of Manchester City runs with the ball (Getty Images)While the game was being settled around him, Foden was busy picking out passes with the outside of his boot, sashaying past defenders as if they weren’t there, while bursting in the box at every given opportunity FIFA
Most importantly, a trait that often goes unheralded at City, Foden possessed that breathless desire in the first half that has enabled City to dominate the Premier League in recent years FIFA
No player in blue completed more sprints in the match than Foden, while only Doku had more touches in the Brighton box than Foden FIFA
So many recent losses are proving hard to shift psychologically for City, even with Rodri back at their heart of the midfield, with Kaoru Mitoma twice denied by Stefan Ortega in the City goal after the break, before Ansu Fati made one count and got the visitors into the match with 17 minutes left FIFA
There were some nervy moments late on for City, especially after Manuel Akanji’s late red card, but the champions stood firm to see out the victory to, temporarily at least, go back top of the pile FIFA
If they are to stay there this season, on the evidence of the early part of the campaign, Foden is going to have a much more prominent role in further glory FIFA
Consistency remains an issue, as his second half decline suggested FIFA
But what he did in the first half? Few, other than Messi, are capable of FIFA
More aboutPhil FodenDavid SilvaLionel MessiJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Foden shows why he’s more Messi than Silva for Man CityFoden shows why he’s more Messi than Silva for Man CityManchester City’s Argentinian striker Julian Alvarez celebrates scoring the opening goaAFP via Getty ImagesFoden shows why he’s more Messi than Silva for Man CityPhil Foden of Manchester City runs with the ballGetty ImagesFoden shows why he’s more Messi than Silva for Man CityPhil Foden of Manchester City in action against Kaoru Mitoma of BrightonEPA✕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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