This year’s Rugby World Cup was the topic on everyone’s lips when an all-star panel treated the 2014-2015 UAE Rugby Annual Awards to a question-and-answer session held by Sport360 Deputy Editor James Piercy.
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Australia’s Joe Roff and England’s Steve Thompson have both had the honour of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup, providing a unique insight on the event. Further gravitas was added to the proceedings at The Montgomerie by the presence of World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper.
Emirates Airlines have been major sponsors of the sport and they were represented by Gary Chapman, President Group Services & Dnata, Emirates Group.
The group was rounded out by UAE Rugby Federation secretary general Qais Al Dhalai, a keen follower of the global game.
With less than six months to the big kick off in England, there was plenty to talk about.
What are your earliest Rugby World Cup memories?
Joe Roff: For me, it was the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Being Australian, it was a special tournament for our guys. The Wallabies held it up for the first time.
It was one of the first times I saw David Campese play. What you don’t know about ‘Campo’ is that after the 1991 World Cup he fell in love with himself and stayed faithful ever since. I followed him into the No11 jersey, so we had a bit of a fraught relationship there.
The first time I ever met him I was a 19-year-old kid playing for the Wallabies for the first time. I told him I still had a poster of him on my bedroom wall. In the way that only senior players can calm the nerves of junior players, he replied: “Don’t worry Roffy, so do I.”
Steve Thompson: It is the 1991 World Cup for me, as well. I remember seeing Campese running around and being quite arrogant, as he does. So that was the first time I hated the Australians as an Englishman. That grew until I put it to bed in 2003.
Brett Gosper: I am old enough to remember the very first one, in 1987 in New Zealand. I was still playing rugby union in France and was very attached to their national side. A few Racing Club players were in the France side, especially Franck Mesnel who had only played first-grade rugby for six months before that World Cup.
Gary Chapman: I remember the 1987 one, as I was in Bahrain at the time. We crowded round the television and had a really-good time. I’ve met people like Leo Williams [chairman of Rugby World Cup from 1995–2000] since, who were really instrumental in making the World Cup happen.
What are you most looking forward to in this World Cup?
Qais Al Dhalai: I know England will deliver a high-class World Cup, for certain. I want a competitive World Cup. Inshallah, for England Rugby.
Gosper: I hope the players enjoy it and all the work is done, so we can sit back and watch the unscripted drama. We are hoping for some surprises, with the Tier 2 nations beating the Tier 1s – that is something we like to see at World Rugby.
Roff: I am really interested to see where the next superstar comes from and who that will be. There was Bryan Habana in 2007 and Jonny Wilkinson in 2003.
The World Cup always provides people with the opportunity to make the tournament theirs, in that crucial clutch moment doing something exceptionally special. We have seen it so many times before. We see so much talent on the field – who can turn the tide to win the World Cup?
From an Australian perspective, fly-half Matt Toomua is world class and so is returning flanker David Pocock. If you are playing in a World Cup final, he would match it and then some with a guy like New Zealand’s Richie McCaw. You also can’t forget full-back Israel Folau. They all have the potential to do it.
It is a tough pool we are in, playing against minnows like England or Wales. England could upset us, so who knows?
What is the secret to having a successful World Cup?
Roff: The sides that have won the World Cup have always been settled sides leading into them. There is no negative motivation to do something for yourself, there is only the collective goal.
That is what it was like for us in 1999. The same side had played together for 12 months, we conceded only one try to the United States in the pools and it was because we checked our egos at the door.
The team that can do that will have that one per cent which is all the difference in a World Cup final when it comes down to extra time.
Could you let us know what it is like to take part in and win a World Cup final?
Thompson: It is weird. I fell asleep before the final in 2003, normally I was really energetic. It was an evening kick off, so you had all day to prepare yourself. It is all about trying to not get too high before the game so you do not exhaust yourself before the match.
I can remember that at the end of 80 minutes, Martin Johnson pulled us all in. Head coach Sir Clive Woodward talked about thinking correctly under pressure but he sort of fell apart a bit to be honest. ‘Jonno’ pulled us all together and simply said to us: “You can think you’ve lost the World Cup or you can go on and win it.” Leaders like that stand up in those moments.
Roff: In 1999, I rememember the changing room before the final being completely silent. There was nothing more to be said, there are no more words to increase the motivation. We played against a reasonably-dirty France team. The roof was closed at the Millennium Stadium and you literally could not hear your team-mate a metre away because of the noise.
Would the UAE be interested in bidding for the World Cup?
Al Dhalai: We have hosted the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2009 and are bidding for the 2017 edition. There is a dream that one year in future to host one, we have all the facilities and financial commitments are not a problem. It is about the right time and when World Rugby feels there should be another World Cup in Asia, as the 2019 Rugby World Cup is to be in Japan.
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Gosper: You never say never. World rugby has come a long way. We welcome any candidates. There is a big queue for the 2023 Rugby World Cup already. It shows the health of the game.
To end, who is going to win the 2015 Rugby World Cup?
Roff: Australia, obviously.
Thompson: My heart says England. My head says South Africa . They’re like the Germany of the rugby world – I think they have the game to win it.
Gosper: I will protect my neutrality and say that World Rugby will be the winner.
Chapman: The team that has their heads right and play with heart will win it. My heart is with New Zealand.
Al Dhalai: Without any emotion, I think it will be South Africa.
