SMS is on a list of 17 to host the Rugby World Cup. List will be cut to 12 venues later. Great for the City, but do we really want rugby on our pitch in the football season. Brighton have come in late for it...let them have it as far as I'm concerned.
If it means revenue for St.Marys I am all for it, but I do fear that it may damage our pitch, I reckon our surface was the best last year, yet Middlesborough got the award, I went to the away game and thought that the 'Boro pitch was a lot worse than ours especially around the goal areas.
Was there not a rumour that the RFU would fund an extension of SMS if it was chosen to be a host stadium?
Going to be a logistics nightmare for the PL fixture computer...will have to take the World Cup into consideration when sorting out matches.
Yeah that's almost certainly untrue. The RFU is rich in rugby terms but not in football terms. They can't afford this kind of thing, and as Fran says, our stadium is more than adequate for the low-profile group game(s) it will likely host. I imagine the RWC organisers will schedule any games at St Mary's for a weekday so as not to interfere with our PL schedule.
I agree - also went to that game and thought that their pitch was considerably more worn than the SMS pitch. Ours is like a billard table by comparision to most. I would have thought that the pitch would stand up to one rugby match played on it mid week, but i am no groundsman so be good to hear from somebody who is.
The South Coast is a desert regarding top-class rugby! Given the population, (around one million, from Havant in the east to Brockenhurst in the west, to Winchester in the North) it is sad the Hampshire does not have a top class rugby team!! Perhaps by holding WC match, it may encourage the development of a top rugby club/franchise! After all there is more to life than football!
Regarding the pitch! Reading seem able to cope with rugby being played on their pitch. That aside, I heard a discussion on Five Live the other week regarding the number of players who go down injured. It concerned the nature of pitches. Someone here has likened the St Mary's pitch to a billiard table. It does look as smooth as a billiard table. I have never fallen on a billiard table, but if I was to fall over on one I might get hurt. Same with footballers! Perhaps the Boro pitch got the award because there was more give in the ground and was able to take a stud. Maybe that's why we see the sprinklers turned on at St Mary's before the match and again at half-time because it is a "billiard" table to fall on! Thoughts!!
