Qualifying Rounds for the 1999 Rugby World Cup
RUGBY WORLD CUP INCREASED TO 20 FINALISTS
CARDIFF, April 15 Sapa-AFP
Twenty countries will play in the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales
-- an increase of four from the 1995 tournament in South Africa.
Organisers have put together a complicated qualifying draw for
the finals which they hope will ensure all the major Test-playing
countries reach the tournament in Wales.
"The structure of the qualifying rounds has been designed to
ensure that no team with a legitimate claim to be in the 1999
tournament in Wales would miss out due to an accidental loss of
form," RWC chairman Leo Williams said on Monday.
Teams who fail to qualify from their own zones get a second
chance in a repechage tournament.
Champions South Africa, runners-up New Zealand and third-place
France qualify automatically along with hosts Wales.
Europe will have at least six teams from the qualifying rounds,
with another three getting a second chance by playing in the
repechages.
The Pacific has at least three qualifiers, America has at least
three qualifiers, Africa and Asia one qualifier each.
Three European teams go into the repechages where they will be
joined by one each from the Pacific, America, Africa and Asia. The
first two from the repechages qualify for Wales.
Australia, the 1991 champions knocked out by England in the
1995 World Cup quarter-finals, play Western Samoa and two other
Pacific qualifiers in a quadrangular tournament by September 1998.
The venue has yet to be decided.
The first three qualify for Wales but the last Pacific team
goes into the repechages against three European teams and one each
from Asia, America and Africa.
A draw will pair six of these seven repechage teams for home
and away matches. The three winners join the seventh team, given a
bye, in a quadrangular tournament to be played by May, 1999, at a
venue to be decided. The first two from this repechage tournament
qualify for Wales.
The full qualifying draw for the 66 countries is as follows:
Europe (Each team plays home and away)
Round A
First two from each of three pools qualify for second round
Pool 1: Austria, Yugoslavia, Israel, Ukraine, Switzerland
Pool 2: Bulgaria, Moldova, Croatia, Norway
Pool 3: Luxembourg, Andorra, Hungary, Lithuania, Sweden
Round B
12 FIRA championship teams enter at this stage of the
competition -- Italy, Romania, Russia, Spain, Poland, Belgium,
Holland, Denmark, Portugal, Germany, Czech Republic and Georgia.
FIRA rankings will be decided by 1996-97 final table.
First two from each pool - six in all - qualify for third round
Pool 1: FIRA 1st team, FIRA 6, FIRA 7, FIRA 12 plus first two
from Round A pool 1
Pool 2: FIRA 2, FIRA 5, FIRA 8, FIRA 11 plus first two from
Round A pool 2
Pool 3: FIRA 3, FIRA 4, FIRA 9, FIRA 10 plus first two from
Round A pool 3
Round C
England, Scotland and Ireland enter competition
Three triangular tournaments at Twickenham (England),
Murrayfield (Scotland) and Lansdowne Road (Ireland). A draw will
decide which teams play against England, Scotland and Ireland.
The first two in each tournament -- six in all -- qualify for
Wales. The third from each tournament -- three in all -- goes
through to repechages.
AFRICA (Each team plays home and away)
Round A: Botswana, Zambia and the Gulf
Round B: Tunisia, Kenya and Round A winner
Round C: Namibia, Zimbabwe and Round B winner
Round D: Morocco, Ivory Coast and first two from Round C
Quadrangular tournament in venue to be decided to be played by
September, 1998. Winner qualifies for Wales. Runner-up to
repechages.
AMERICAS (Each team plays home and away)
Round A
Pool 1: Guyana, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago
Pool 2: Barbados, Bahamas, Bermuda
Round B
Chile and two Pool winners from Round A
Round C
Paraguay, Uruguay and Round B winner
Round D
USA, Argentina, Canada and Round C winner. Quadrangular
tournament in venue to be decided to be played by September, 1998.
First three qualify for Wales. Fourth goes to repechages.
ASIA (Each team plays home and away)
Round A
Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore
Round B
Malaysia, Taiwan and Round A winner
Round C
Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and Round B winner.
Quadrangular tournament in venue to be decided to be played by
October, 1998. Winner qualifies for Wales. Runner-up to repechage.
PACIFIC (Each team plays home and away)
Round A: Tahiti, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea
Round B: Fiji, Tonga, Round A winners
Round C: Australia, Western Samoa plus first two from Round B
Quadrangular tournament at venue to be decided to be played by
September, 1998. First three qualify for Wales. Fourth goes to
repechages.
Repechages
Three European teams and one each from Asia, America, Africa
and Pacific.
A draw will pair six of these seven teams for home and away
matches. The winners of these three matches join the seventh team,
given a bye, in a quadrangular tournament to be played by May,
1999, at a venue to be decided.
The first two from this repechage tournament qualify for Wales.
Sapa-AFP
/mjf
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