Jeff Probyn: Late kick-offs can harm the legacy of RWC 2015

With news about the Lions selection dominating the sports pages, someone at RWC 2015 must have thought no-one would notice. The announcement that 22 of the 48 games to be played at the 2015 RWC will kick-off at 8pm has been released without much fuss in an attempt to sneak it under the radar.
It may be that we are just too far away from the contest for both RWC and the fans  to realise the impact that late kick-offs will have on travel arrangements and make-up of the crowd. Or, it might be the view that says just because the World Cup is being played in England that should not preclude the Aussies and New Zealanders from watching the games live at a relatively reasonable time.
I have to say that I think it it is very short-sighted by the IRB and RWC not to have listened to fans after 2011, when they all expressed unhappiness at late kick-offs.
The feeling is they have pandered too much to the television companies – especially as (in this modern age) virtually everyone who will want to watch the game in New Zealand and Australia will be watching on a satellite station where the provider usually incorporates a recorder that enables viewers to watch programmes for at least a week after the event.
Late kick-offs could also have an impact on the ticket sales and legacy simply because parents will not necessarily want to keep their kids up late at night to either watch live on television or go to any games that may be local to them.
For many parents who would not normally spend the sort of money needed to take their children to an international rugby match, the RWC’s promise of £7.00 tickets (even if only for the pool stages) provides an almost unique opportunity to introduce their children to the special nature of the game.
Those of us who were lucky enough to get to an international match at a young age will testify to the captivating nature of those games.
As a 15-year-old I went on tour with Surrey schools to Wales and part of our trip included tickets to Wales v England at the old Cardiff Arms Park.
Although we were in ‘hostile territory’ both sets of fans mingled, with the banter flowing as easily as the beer and, despite England getting thrashed 22-6, a great day was had by all and I came away a life long fan of the game.
It may be that the casual observer will keep his or her TV tuned to the rugby once their favourite soap ends but it’s highly unlikely that they will leave home to travel to a ground even a few miles away knowing they won’t get home until at least 11pm and so will miss out on that ‘live’ experience that could encourage them to get involved in the game.  Then there is the fact that all of England’s games will kick off at 8pm and all but one (Manchester City Stadium) will be at Twickenham.
As the opening game of the World Cup is on Friday September 18 between England and probably Fiji it means that the RFU have moved from their stated position that no game will take place at Twickenham on a Friday.
Admittedly, that is a promise the RFU made regarding Six Nations games, but with the 2014 and 2015 Championships having Friday night games in Cardiff, the World Cup would set a precedent for the TV companies that it would be hard for the RFU to refuse to follow.
All the reasons why the RFU refused Friday night games at Twickenham for the Six Nations will also apply for the World Cup, including the logistics of getting the crowd to and from the stadium.
To travel to Twickenham for an 8pm kick-off would mean leaving home to arrive at the stadium by 7 – 7.15pm which would put all travelling fans right in the middle of the already chaotic London rush hour, possibly doubling travelling times.
Imagine how the RFU would look if the World Cup’s opening match is either played before a half empty Twickenham as fans slowly arrive after the start or the kick-off is delayed for half an hour to allow the stadium to fill.
And it’s not just England at Twickenham; there’s New Zealand kicking off at 8pm in the Olympic stadium on Thursday, September 24 and South Africa on Wednesday, October 7. Great if you want to go late night shopping at Stratford’s Westfield but not if you want to get to the game.
Unlike Twickenham, the Olympic stadium doesn’t sit in a ‘rugby area’ although there are a few clubs locally, notably East London and the Kings Cross Steelers who share a ground and facilities near West Ham Station, which means that the majority of fans will have to travel further to get to the venue and it is not helped by the fact that it is not England that are playing there.
Unlike during the Olympics there will be no ‘priority lanes’ during RWC, so anyone driving to the venue will have to struggle up the A12 or, for London-based fans, arrive via the Central Line (not for the faint hearted during the rush hour) then walk.
I know I will be called a Ludite for not embracing the need for late kick-offs in getting the maximum amount of money from the television companies, but if all the surveys (including an on-line poll) stating that 90 per cent of fans and players don’t want them, what are the chances of a meaningful legacy even if RWC do get their £80,000,000?