Wednesday 12 January 1994

Scotland take on the world cup

David Hands, Rugby Correspondent

WHILE Rugby World Cup (RWC) organisers expect to announce today additional sponsors for the 1995 tournament after the most recent meeting of directors in the Isle of Man, they may note a change in location of the women's world cup, proposed for April, and hope that the same does not apply to the men next year.

The 1995 World Cup in South Africa, a venue that carries obvious hazards, has already been backed by South African Airways and though RWC is chary about issuing figures, it must be assumed that each of the proposed eight important sponsorships is worth a minimum of Pounds 1 million. Such a sum would be a godsend to the women's competition, which was planned for Holland between April 10 and 24, but which will now be staged in Scotland.

A meeting of the Scottish Women's Rugby Union (SWRU) competition organising committee in Edinburgh tomorrow will confirm the logistics of the tournament after the Dutch withdrawal last week, apparently provoked by the possibility that some of the world's leading teams might not attend because the tournament was not run under the auspices of the International Rugby Football Board.

Nor was the first tournament in 1991, played in Wales and won by the United States, but though it was not financially successful it created interest in the women's game. Entries must be submitted by February 1.

Source Citation
"Women's rugby seeks sponsors; Women's Rugby." Times [London, England] 12 Jan. 1994