Row brewing over timing of World Cup

By CHRIS HEWETT

LONDON - John O'Neill has always been an outspoken, tell-it-like-it-is kind of character, even by Australian standards, so his decision yesterday to set the ball rolling on the next great trial of political strength between rugby's warring hemispheres was not entirely unexpected.

Even so, O'Neill's contemptuous dismissal of any move to re-schedule the 2007 World Cup on a more Euro-friendly basis raised the hackles of every Englishman, Frenchman and Celt in the union fraternity.

The 2007 tournament, which will be staged in either England or France, is listed as an autumn competition, beginning in October and ending in early November; indeed, all World Cups are scheduled for that time of year, under International Rugby Board guidelines.

However, the northern hemisphere countries are sick of what they consider to be the IRB's callow acceptance of a southern hemisphere agenda.

Why, they ask, should the World Cup always interrupt tournaments in Europe, rather than the Super 12 and Tri-Nations series down south?

Their frustration has been deepened by the timing of this weekend's World Cup Sevens showpiece in Argentina. The southern super-powers, comfortably out of season, have been able to send serious, silverware-chasing squads to Mar del Plata.

Their northern rivals have been hampered by the fact that the tournament coincides with the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup and European Shield, and will still be in full flow just five days before the start of the Six Nations.

Both England and France would prefer to stage a World Cup in early summer, but O'Neill, the chief executive of the Australian Rugby Union, is doing his best to blow the idea clean out of the water.

"If France or England are trying to alter the existing agreement, they will require a policy change from the IRB," he said.

"I'd be surprised if Sanzar [the umbrella organisation representing South Africa, New Zealand and Australia] agree to it. Therefore, it won't get up."

Rod Macqueen, the Wallaby coach, took a slightly more diplomatic line, admitting that a June-July tournament would not suit his side and suggesting that the conflicting views underlined the need for a "global season".

That, though, would inevitably involve a northern hemisphere switch to summer rugby, à la rugby league, for the southern trio have no intention of disrupting their Rupert Murdoch-financed programme.

Broadcasting imperatives mean that the game north of the equator will remain a winter concern, so the stage is set for a fierce battle of wills in the IRB boardroom.

- HERALD CORRESPONDENT