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Leagues and Governing Bodies

RFU Rules Out 'Hasty Reaction' After England's Rugby World Cup Exit

Rugby Football Union CEO Ian Ritchie said that change "is inevitable" after England slumped to its worst performance in World Cup history, according to the PA. A 33-13 defeat to Australia at Twickenham -- a record losing margin to the Wallabies -- "condemned England to become the first host nation to exit the tournament at the group phase." The future of head coach Stuart Lancaster and his assistants Andy Farrell, Graham Rowntree and Mike Catt "are in grave doubt and the inquest will begin once the World Cup is over, although Ritchie refuses to outline a timescale or format for the review." The position of Ritchie himself "is equally precarious having appointed Lancaster and taken the bold step 12 months ago of awarding him and his lieutenants new contracts to run until 2020 despite the failure to win any silverware of note." When asked if there would be change, Ritchie said, "Absolutely. We’ve spent a lot of time looking forward over the last two to three years and now we need to look at what we need to do next. But we need to be clear that this is not a time for knee-jerk reaction. It’s not a time to rush into things" (PA, 10/4). In London, Owen Gibson wrote Ritchie and Lancaster, appointed in the wake of the New Zealand '11 meltdown, "have done much to reconnect England with the wider game and the public, to restore pride in the shirt and to put the RFU as an institution on an even keel." But judged purely on their World Cup performance, "things have regressed." And "that will have a knock-on effect off the pitch." Beyond "the regret at England’s failure on the pitch and the wider bitter disappointment of all those who had paid hundreds of pounds for their tickets and watching on television, there is a wider sense of bitter disappointment at an opportunity lost." The RFU "is a much more stable beast than it was in 2011, when it almost tore itself apart after England’s World Cup elimination, and some of its good work will continue regardless." The "modest target to increase adult participation from 190,000 to 215,000 by 2017 will stay in place" (GUARDIAN, 10/4).

ENGLAND COULD FACE FINE: The PA reported "England's misery" over its "calamitous World Cup exit may be compounded by a possible fine" for its failure to meet World Rugby regulations for post-match media requirements. Every team "is obliged to send 10 players into the mixed zone to speak with media after the match has finished, but England only provided two" despite requests for more players to appear. The World Rugby representative on duty in the mixed zone confirmed that "the matter would feature in his report." It "is understood that a fine is the sanction available to World Rugby if they decide a punishment is necessary." A "bitter" U.K. press pack has "unleashed on England," describing its Rugby World Cup thumping at the hands of the Wallabies as "humiliating," "shambolic" and "an ungodly mess from start to finish" (PA, 10/4).

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