KEY POINTS:
New Zealand still prefers a 16-team World Cup in 2011 but tournament boss Martin Snedden admits lobbying is growing to retain the 20-team format used this year in France.
That pressure and the need for everyone involved to get away and analyse their verdict was behind the decision
to defer an announcement this week. That will now be left until the end of November when the International Rugby Board holds a series of meetings to look at the international rugby calendar.
If the next World Cup is culled to 16 teams, a move which would reduce the matches from 48 to 32, New Zealand expects to be allowed to alter the format to come up with about 40 matches.
"It is all about improving the competitiveness of the pool phases," Snedden said yesterday in Paris.
"The financial formula is tough but we went into the bid process with our eyes open just like Japan and South Africa.
"Infrastructure and the financial implications do not come into our thinking on the team numbers, we will have no trouble with a 20-team 48-game tournament but the driving factor for us is the quality of rugby.
"My leaning is still towards having 16 teams while recognising there are arguments for keeping the status quo. We do not need to die in a ditch about this, we can make both ideas work."
Snedden has been in France assessing the tournament and believes there has been a shift in some countries' preference because of the achievements of sides such as Portugal and Georgia.
France and Australia have indicated they want 20 teams kept for 2011 and with French boss Bernard Lapasset set to lead the IRB as the new chairman, that could sway the vote.
There is one new arrangement already for the seventh World Cup, to be held in New Zealand, with the top three sides from each pool this year automatically qualifying.
Tonga's great victory over Samoa means their Pacific Island neighbours have to go into some form of qualification knockout along with USA, Japan, Canada, Romania, Portugal, Georgia and Namibia from this World Cup.
This year, outgoing IRB chairman Syd Millar gave the 16-team format some public approval and New Zealand began planning towards that concept.
However the crowds in France for all games and the support and enthusiasm engendered by the "minnows" have altered some preconceptions.
"I support 20 teams because to reduce it to 16 teams would make it difficult to develop the code internationally," Lapasset said.
Under the current financial arrangements, New Zealand would collect only gate money from the 2011 event and there have been financial projections that the country will lose $30 million on a 20-team event. Rugby World Cup Ltd would retain all broadcasting and commercial revenue.
