World Rugby’s robust contingency plans in the event of a natural disaster in Yokohama was to move World Cup games just 22km away to Tokyo.
A report in The Guardian has revealed the flawed plan which allegedly overlooked that an entire region would be affected by typhoon Hagibis.
According to the report, the World Cup organisers considered moving England’s final pool fixture against France from Yokohama to Oita, around 800km away, but did not have the time to organise the move at short notice.
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World Rugby cancelled the fixture between England and France, as well as the Pool B game between New Zealand and Italy, while hosts Japan’s crucial match against Scotland remains under threat due to the potential damage caused by the typhoon.
The Scotland Rugby Union has threatened World Rugby with legal action if the game does not go on as scheduled. Should the game be called off and declared a draw, Scotland would be eliminated from the tournament while Japan would progress to the playoffs.
