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World Rugby bosses have hit back at claims 31-man World Cup squads threaten player welfare by insisting top coaches left their objections too late to have any effect for the 2019 tournament in Japan.<\/p>\nWorld Rugby bosses have hit back at claims 31-man World Cup squads threaten player welfare by insisting top coaches left their objections too late to have any effect for the 2019 tournament in Japan.<\/p>\n
Ireland boss Joe Schmidt has criticized the 31-man World Cup limit, suggesting that is not enough players to attack a global tournament without compromising safety.<\/p>\n
World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper said the organisation will review the World Cup squad limits for future tournaments \u2013 but insisted coaches like Schmidt needed to raise their concerns far sooner for implementation in Japan.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first thing I would say is that we\u2019re never entrenched in one particular position; that position has come quite late in the day,\u201d said Gosper.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that there\u2019s good player welfare parameters experienced around the size of the squads.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoaches generally want more players at their disposal and we understand that. Looking forward we might look at that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt does have cost implications but of course, if we do sense and understand that there are real player welfare gains in those squad changes, we would move towards that. So we\u2019re not closed to that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ireland flew out to Tokyo with existing injury concerns over Joey Carbery and Keith Earls, and have since suffered further scares to key players Rob Kearney and Robbie Henshaw.<\/p>\n
Head coach Schmidt would have selected a third scrum-half, a sixth prop and a sixth back-rower had squads been extended to 34 or 35 men as he wanted.<\/p>\n
Chief operating officer Alan Gilpin admitted World Rugby will consider raising squad limits for the 2023 tournament in France.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve looked at it, we\u2019ve continued to look at it,\u201d said Gilpin.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery World Cup throws up some areas for discussion and we\u2019ll review that very thoroughly with the teams, team doctors and research after the tournament and move forward into the next cycle planning with the right information.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the way it\u2019s been raised so close to this tournament never gave us any opportunity to really look at change for Japan 2019. But we\u2019ll definitely review that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe move to 31 players actually took place after Rugby World Cup 2011 and particularly in relation to front-row cover.\u201d<\/p>\n