World Rugby said on Monday that Yokohama Stadium, which staged the 2002 FIFA World Cup final, will replace Japan's new National Stadium as the venue for the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, according to REUTERS. Japan "caught World Rugby off guard" in July when it announced the proposed new 80,000-seat national stadium, the centerpiece of the 2020 Olympic Games, would not be "completed in time" to host matches during the first RWC in Asia. World Rugby said that the 50,000-seat Tokyo Stadium, home to local football club FC Tokyo, would now take the opening honor while announcing a "new roadmap" with local organizers on Monday after a complete review of the plan. World Rugby Chair Bernard Lapasset said, "These are exciting, unprecedented times for Japan Rugby and this revised roadmap reinforces and reflects the shared vision and mission to deliver a Rugby World Cup that will be great for Japan, great for Asia and great for Rugby." The tone of satisfaction was in "stark contrast to the body's feelings in July," when it requested urgent talks after Japan PM Shinzo Abe, "tired of the rising costs and public outcry against the National Stadium plans, ordered a scaled back version" (REUTERS, 9/28). In London, Teddy Cutler reported concerns about the stadium "had reached such a state" that the South African government was on standby to "step in as hosts, a result that would have come as a major embarrassment both to Japan and World Rugby," which has a "mandate to grow the game globally" and sees the Far East as "one of its most important markets in achieving that aim." The reduced capacity of the Yokohama Stadium "will mean reduced ticket revenue." Japanese fervor for rugby "has exploded after the Brave Blossoms' 34-32 defeat of South Africa last week, following which the entire stock of the country's red-and-white replica shirts sold out from the official Rugby World Cup store on Oxford Street" (LONDON TIMES, 9/28). In Sydney, Jamie Pandaram reported the 12 2019 RWC host venues are: Sapporo Dome; Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium (interim name); Kumagaya Rugby Ground; Tokyo Stadium; Int'l Stadium Yokohama; Ogasayama Sports Park Ecopa Stadium; Toyota Stadium; Higashiosaka City Hanazono Rugby Stadium; Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium; Higashi Hirao Park Hakatanomori Football Stadium; Kumamoto Prefectural Athletic Stadium; Oita Stadium (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 9/28).
