Rugby World Cup 2019 Fixture Update
The 2019 Rugby World Cup could be disrupted by a massive storm heading towards Japan. Typhoon Hagibis is expected to hit the southernmost parts of the country this weekend, bringing dangerous amounts of wind and rain. The storm has the potential to disrupt the RWC match schedule. But that is not the only thing organizers need to consider when planning for a worst-case scenario.
2019 RWC Matches to be Affected by the Weather
Under Rugby World Cup protocol, if both teams play and are affected by the super typhoon, they would share the four points available. What's worse for Scotland - and, by extension, the hosts, Japan - is that Rugby World Cup protocol is about to be invoked again for what looks to be two very stormy matches.
If Typhoon Hagibis does what it is predicted to do and makes landfall on Saturday, rugby matches are likely to be affected. In addition to the 14,000 people who were expected at the England vs. France fan zone (more than 10,000 were at the Wales vs. Australia fan zone), several thousand more gathered in Yokohama for the kickoff. That was before the decision was made to cancel the match, along with two other quarterfinal matches, in what is now considered a weather-related public safety crisis. In fact, various meteorological agencies now seem to agree that Typhoon Hagibis will be a powerful, rain-soaked storm.
It is likely that the Australian team will be bypassed by England in a quarterfinal match and will instead face France. Ironclad contingency plans have been put in place by RWC organizers to ensure that all scheduled matches take place on the scheduled day.
Typhoon Hagibis Impacts Rugby World Cup 2019
The typhoon is said to have intensified greatly in 24 hours. Weather experts have classified it as having "gone off the charts" and "backed off the tropical storm designation" to call it a full-fledged Category 5 typhoon. This, they say, is one of the most dangerous systems out there. The All Blacks vs. Canada game in the Rugby World Cup is one of those games that is under review due to severe weather, which means Typhoon Hagibis is throwing a wrench into Canada's expected schedule to reach Japan.