Postponing the World Championship
After much consideration, the IRF board has evaluated the current situation and decided to postpone the World Championship to 2022. While this news is disappointing, we firmly believe that it is the best decision for safety, fairness, and establishing a strong foundation for future championships.
Firstly, the safety of the players and everyone involved with the event is a top priority. While September is still some time away and the situation is changing constantly, we feel bringing that many people together from so many different countries in the (hopefully) aftermath of a pandemic will still be a considerable risk. Chances would also be high that there would be a number of restrictions on the event that would prohibit us from running the championship the way it should be.
Additionally, while the situation in September might be a lot better, continuing to host the event in 2021 will require NGBs to put together a national team during the summer. In many places, it might be too soon to go out and play qualifier tournaments in a safe way and we don’t want to force NGBs to rush into forming these teams or hosting events when they don’t feel safe or comfortable to do so.
On a more optimistic note, this postponement is an opportunity to do things even better. We want to make sure that players from all around the world can participate without fear, risk, or restriction. Waiting a year gives the IRF and NGBs more time to develop and collaborate. Instead of making upfront decisions ourselves as the IRF Board and rushing things to get everything done by September 2021, we can now focus on getting a structure in place to bring more NGBs on board and establish procedures to have all voices heard in shaping the World Championship. We’re confident that from this teamwork, an even better event will emerge.
For the time being, we still envision the event to consist of the same elements as when it was announced in 2020: a multiple day event in September where we try to create an Olympic Village feel by having all bungalows, activities and playing fields at the same venue, Molenheide (Belgium). Aside from the National Squad Championship, there will also be an individual tournament where anyone can participate. None of this, however, is set in stone and different elements can still change depending on the input and decisions of the member NGBs.
We see the focus of 2021 as returning to safe, national play and establishing the systems for national team development and selection. In 2022, we can launch the World Championship the way it was meant to be. Looking forward to working together with all of you on this awesome mission!
