Letter: Mind the gap

Sir: Alan Watkins is right (along with just about everyone else) that the Rugby World CupR suffered because of the long gap between games. In the last football World Cup in France the pool matches lasted from 10 June until 26 June, when the knockout stage (and longer gaps between games) began.

The way football solves its problem is by allowing slightly shorter gaps between games in the pool stages, and staging at least one match a night during the week, so viewing becomes a daily habit, thus building up interest.

Rugby must follow this too, and if it's difficult for rugby players to play so often, then teams must use their full squads more creatively.

TOBY CHOPRA

via e-mail from

Milton Grove, London