Head Of Rugby World Cup 'Confident' Tokyo's Stadium Will Be Ready By '19

Rugby World Cup Head Alan Gilpin said that he was "confident Tokyo's new national stadium would be ready for Rugby World Cup 2019," according to KYODO. Just 100 days before the start of Rugby World Cup 2015, Gilpin said that he "understood ongoing media speculation about whether the new stadium would be ready in time." Gilpin: "We have discussed the issues with Japan Sports Council and Japan Rugby 2019 (the local organizing committee) and we are confident it will be ready and a fantastic stadium for rugby." Objections from local architects and a "desire to considerably cut the budget for the Tokyo Olympics have seen the original plan for the stadium changed a number of times" and led to reports that the showpiece for both RWC 2019 and the 2020 Games "would not be ready" by Sept. '19, when the tournament is set to kick off. Gilpin added, "Every stadium project has challenges and undergoes changes. ... I am confident all 12 venues [in Japan] will be ready and will be fantastic venues" (KYODO, 6/11).