Tongans do it tough

THE Fijians could yet thank its good fortunes that it is not going to the Rugby World Cup in South Africa next year.

Pacific qualifiers Tonga have been thrown in at the deep end following last month’s announcement that the number of venues in the tournament had been reduced from 14 to 10. Rugby World Cup Ltd officials announced in London that matches will not be played at

Brakpan, Germiston, Pietermaritzburg

and Witbank.

Western Samoa automatically qualified after it reached the quarter-finals of the 1991 tournament.

Tonga will play France under floodlights at Pretoria’s Louis Versfeld stadium on May 26, starting at 6pm local time. Both teams are likely to struggle, as the venue will be at high-altitude. Samoa is likely to play either Romania or Italy on May 27 in East London, kicking off at Ipm.

Samoa then plays a team from the

Americas, quite likely the Argentinians, on May 30 in a day game at East London. Tonga will play a second night game that same day, at Pretoria, against Scotland, starting at Bpm. The Tongans will play their last pool match, on June 3 at Potchefstroom against the African qualifier, almost certainly Namibia.

The Samoans wrap up their pool games with a night encounter against England at Durban on June 4, a Sunday.

Durban’s tropical climate will favour the Samoans. Should the Samoans make it to the quarter-finals, then they face the winner of Pool A in the high-altitude cauldron of Johannesburg’s Ellis Park on June 10. Pool A features Australia and hosts South Africa, who clash in the tournament’s opening game at Cape Town on May 25.

Fears have been expressed about the

safety of World Cup participants in

South Africa next year with escalating

political violence in that country. The South African Rugby Football Union has been quick to quell those fears, but contingency plans are being made for an alternative host. A joint bid by Australia and New Zealand to host it is unlikely to succeed, officials said, because of the time difference factor in television coverage between Europe and Down Under.

England’s tour of South Africa in May and June will be monitored closely, coming after South Africa’s first multi racial elections in late April. 9 The regional connections in pool play May 25, (Opening game) Aust vs South Africa at Cape Town; May 26, Tonga vs France at Pretoria; May 27, Ipm, Samoa vs second European qualifier at East London; Bpm, New Zealand vs Ireland at Johannesburg; May 30, 12.30 pm, Samoa vs Americas at East London; Bpm, Tonga vs Scotland at Pretoria; May 31, Ipm, Australia vs Canada at Port Elizabeth; Bpm, NZ vs first European qualifier at Johannesburg; June 3, Ipm, Tonga vs African qualifier at Potchesfstroom; 3pm, Aust vs third Europe qualifier at Stellenbosch; June 4,3 pm, NZ vs Asian qualifier at Bloemfontein; Bpm, Samoa vs England at Durban. □