2023 RWC Buildup, Squads, Fixtures 'etc'

The real issue is ensuring that tier 2 teams get decent exposure to tier one opposition between world cups. If Fiji had tests against top team every year they would reach the semis, same goes for some of the other teams.

Yeah your right I here that they’ve sold out of kids national team rugby replica jerseys in Romania ,namibia and chile as kids have been so inspired by watching their countrymen get steamrollered.

growing a game takes time - look at Italy in 6 nations- getting kerb stomped every 4 years by vastly superior teams isn’t as big a piece of the growth puzzle as you seem to think it is

Its a world cup, every team has the opportunity to compete for it.

Who knows, maybe even involving actual Turkey?

No way we'd go out to half arse a game (vs Scotland) to try face a weakened French team if Dupout is out

Nature of the tournament sadly, risks have to be taken

No they aren't like Ireland in soccer. The steps in Soccer from number 1 down all the way to number 200 is an equal step down the ladder.

In rugby each step from 1-13/14 are fairly equal (although the steps get bigger outside the top 10)where there is at least some sort of competitiveness and then there is a gigantic gap to the teams below this level.Namibia are not even fully professional it's a complete joke having teams of that level in a world cup the group stages in the RWC are a complete waste of time.Soccer is popular in pretty much every country in the world Rugby isn't , almost nobody takes it seriously out of the top 12 or 13 countries.

Namibia playing in a rugby world cup is like Lichtenstein playing in a soccer world cup.

There's hardly 'Jackie's Army' type stuff happening down in Windhoek

Exactly there is no comparison between rugby and soccer.

Football is a low-scoring game where much lower-rank sides can quite frequently hold out for draws, or narrow defeats and the occasional win.

Reducing the number of teams in the WC isn't the answer to anything IMO.

Providing so called Tier 2 or 3 nations (or whatever you want to call them) with more top quality games between World Cups is what is needed.

I remember NZ beating Japan 145 0 in 1995 or something crazy like that. 20 years later they beat SA, and 4 years after that reached a WC QF. So improvements can and will happen over time.

Yes! On there money part, French Pro 14 teams gave up some money to help fund pro D2 and lower leagues. That has resulted over the longer term with more rugby, bigger audiences and more tv money for everyone. It's paid off in France and one big indicator of it is just how many of the best players from the Tier 2 teams play their rugby in the lower leagues in France. Unions need to play a long game, as some have realised. Portugal playing Australia or the All Blacks in Lisbon WILL raise the profile and popularity of the sport.

Anyone have any advice?

Going to a braai tonight at friends house, his missus is Namibian. How do I keep a straight face?

I agree with this. WR should be mandating the Tier 1 sides play the weaker teams as part of tours. Even if it is only the wider squad players who are used, it will still be exposing the other team to high quality professional players. The costs would be low as the Tier 1 team will have a squad of over 30 players with them. WR could cover some of the cost on the basis that the Tier 1 squad and coaches do some training sessions with local schools/clubs to promote the game.

The Tbilisi Cup was a great tournament, a version of it should be revived but hosting rotating between Georgia/Romania/Spain/Portugal. Having a festival of rugby in their country would be help grow interest in the sport in those countries. Tier 1 nations should be encouraged to send a team every few years at least. Again, WR should be covering some of the cost.