UPDATE: World Rugby press conference at 4am UK time to reveal the news and plans regarding game cancellations and Typhoon threat.
Two Rugby World Cup pool fixtures could be cancelled, according to reports from French website RugbyRama.
The article translated reads: “After having favoured the relocation of the matches of the weekend due to typhoon Hagibis, World Rugby now plans to cancel several meetings of the last day of pool, including England-France and the decisive Japan-Scotland.
BREAKING: World Rugby set to cancel both France v England and Scotland v Japan according to Rugbyrama!
— Robert Rees (@Rreesrugby) October 9, 2019
Scotland won’t be happy but too hard logistically, apparently. #RWC2019 https://t.co/5dtja9nCXz
BREAKING: World Rugby set to cancel both France v England and Scotland v Japan according to Rugbyrama!
— Paul Eddison (@pauleddison) October 9, 2019
After talking of moving games, seems like it’s going to be too hard logistically.
Got to think the Scots will be fuming at that.#RWC2019 https://t.co/aD8ocjxaNR
“The reason ? The logistical constraints of travel and accommodation are more complex than expected and could encourage World Rugby to this radical decision. The verdict must be made tomorrow morning, Tokyo time, this night in France, on the occasion of an exceptional “board” of the organizing body.
“As a reminder, in case of cancellation, the teams would be awarded two points: for England and France, already qualified and respectively first and second of their group, it would not change much; on the other hand, the cancellation would be equivalent to a pure and simple elimination for the XV of the Thistle, which can still, on paper, claim to the quarterfinals in case of success against the Nippons.’
Before the World Cup started, Typhoon Faxai left three people dead in what was the most powerful storm to hit Japan in 60 years, with nearly 1,000,000 households destroyed by the tropical cyclone.
According to satellite imagery, Hagibis is considerably larger than Faxai.