World Rugby hits back at Scotland Rugby Union boss Dodson before Typhoon Hagibis

World Rugby has hit out at suggestions by Scotland rugby union boss Mark Dodson that they will take legal action if their Rugby World Cup match against Japan tomorrow doesn't go ahead due to a typhoon.

The tournament organisers have called off two of today's three matches and placed a question mark over the Scottish-Japanese game in Tokyo.

That led to Dodson stating that World Rugby is pointing them back to the participation agreement and they have had a legal opinion – from a leading QC – that challenges World Rugby's interpretation.

Scotland rugby union boss Mark Dodson [Photo:World Rugby]

However, World Rugby has now issued a statement of clarification taking the Scotland Rugby Union boss to task for what they described as disappointing comments.

The World Rugby statement says it is disappointing that the Scottish Rugby Union should make such comments at a time when they are doing everything they can to enable all Sunday's matches to take place as scheduled, and when there is a real and significant threat to public safety owing to what is predicted to be one of the largest and most destructive typhoons to hit Japan since 1958.

It says along with the 19 other teams, the Scottish Rugby Union signed the Rugby World Cup 2019 terms of participation, which clearly state where a pool match cannot be commenced on the day in which it is scheduled, it shall not be postponed to the following day, and shall be considered as cancelled and in such situations, the result shall be declared a draw and teams will be allocated two match points each and no score registered.

Meanwhile, Ireland will take on Samoa at 10.45 tonight.

[Source:NZ Herald]

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