Nz Battle Japan In Bidding War

Sun Herald

Sunday December 19, 2004

By JOHN MATHESON and DAVID LONG

JAPAN'S rugby boss is preparing to go to war with the NZRU for the right to host the 2011 World Cup.

Chairman Noboru Mashimo told New Zealand's Sunday News he has no intention of joining forces with New Zealand as the battle for hosting rights heats up.

Recent reports suggested the two countries would join forces to fight off the challenge from South Africa. NZRU chairman Jock Hobbs was quoted saying joining up with Japan was a "secondary option". But Mashimo yesterday said he had no intention of aligning his union with the NZRU.

"We are focusing on our bid," he said from Tokyo.

Mashimo said Japan didn't need, or want, New Zealand to help run the cup. He also questioned the validity of reports suggesting he had requested a meeting with NZRU officials when he was in New Zealand in August to discuss a joint bid.

He confirmed a meeting took place but the World Cup race was not a motive for the get-together with his counterpart Jock Hobbs.

"No one set up the meeting," he said. "I just happened to visit there and talked to people from the NZRU for our eternal friendship."

A spokesman for Mashimo confirmed the war mentality surrounding the Japanese bid.

"If New Zealand weren't bidding we'd be happy to talk about our bid, but because New Zealand are competing against us it is difficult to talk," he said. "We are trying to gather information to make our singular bid better."

Mashimo said the only time he would consider joining up with the NZRU would be if the IRB directed him to do so. But an IRB spokesman citing the success of 1995 (South Africa) and 2003 (Australia) said the IRB would prefer one nation to host the 2011 tournament.

While Japan doesn't have the tradition of being a rugby superpower, it proved its organisational ability when it co-hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2002.

The Japanese also have a long line of multi-national companies ready and willing to back the 2011 bid.

"Would they do a good job? Absolutely," NZRU chief executive Chris Moller said. "But we have our strengths, too."

The IRB requires each union to prepare a confirmation of interest by the end of January something Japan and South Africa have already indicated they will submit.