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Springbok Makazole Mapimpi celebrates with Faf de Klerk and Lukhanyo Am after scoring their teams’ first try during the 2019 Rugby World Cup final between England and South Africa.
(Shaun Botterill / Getty Images)
Headlines South Africa could face hosts France at Rugby World Cup 2023 with the draw for the group stages taking place in Paris on Monday with a cloud about the sport.
The Springboks are top-seeded alongside runners-up England, three-time winners New Zealand and Wales, with Les Bleus alongside Australia, Ireland and last year’s host Japan on track two.
The subject of head injuries will be on display at the Palais Brongniart, the former location of the French stock exchange, less than a week after a number of former internationals said they were planning legal action against rugby authorities over the result of a concussion.
Former England prostitute Steve Thompson said he does not recall lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy in 2003 and was diagnosed in November with early-onset dementia and probable CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy).
The planned action is against World Rugby, Rugby Football Union and Welsh Rugby Union, for “failing to protect (the plaintiffs) from the risks caused by concussions.”
Separately, Pacific Rugby Players Welfare (PRPW), a Pacific Island professional association, wrote an open letter to Bill Beaumont on Saturday calling for fairer schedules during the tournament three years from now.
The PRPW said that lower-ranked nations, such as Samoa, Fiji and Tonga, have had less time to recover between games in past editions of the World Cup.
“We request this because it is the right thing to do for the good of the game at this critical juncture in the history of the game,” said PRPW President and former Samoa lock Dan Leo.
“But it also represents a World Rugby commitment to equality and fair play.
“This should be understood for what it is: the strongest hinders the weakest. And these issues are out of the question. Unbalanced schedules and compromised government structures speak for themselves,” he added.
France, which is hosting the competition for the second time, has impressed with new head coach Fabien Galthie, but captain Charles Ollivon refused to be swayed by his chances at home.
“It’s a great moment, we are a little excited to know who we will start against and our group,” Ollivon told Canal + on Sunday.
“All the players, we are aware of the task ahead.
“However, we have a lot of work to do, a lot of battles to win, before 2023.”
Fiji, Italy, Scotland and Argentina are the other four nations that reached the tournament automatically after finishing in the top three of their group in Japan.
They will be joined by eight qualifiers with the final lineup known on November 22.
