Peter's Stuff: Russia

The principal reason for the visit, but it was an event of firsts:

- A magnificent stadium with capacity of nearly 90,000, ex 1980 Olympics but with about 15% cordoned off with IRB advertising and what remains only about 10% full, rather scattered too. There were more officials with badges, police of various kinds and many National Guard than paying spectators. Security was styled for a football match, not a Sevens Carnival.

- There were no programmes of any kind, not even a notice board of fixtures, but I had fortunately brought one with me for the Pool phase. But, I had to go on-line to get the fixtures for the Knock-out phase, otherwise I wouldn't have known who was playing!

- There was to have been a French band and there was a large stage set with video screens, but it must have played on Saturday to an empty stadium and after we had left, because nobody knew and their kit had gone come Sunday!

- There was no merchandise of any kind to take away or promote the success of what they would have hoped to have been a sensational tournament, and there seemed to be almost no local advertising, even though Russia won the Bowl.

- There was a grim selection of food in the few kiosks inside the Stadium - you can live on it, but you wouldn't choose to unless you had to!

- Crucially, there was no beer, or any alcohol of any kind, inside or outside the Stadium on the first day - 5 hours of rugby on two small bottles of water on Day 1 was definitely a first! We did find a small tent doing brisk trade in beer outside later. Dubai, despite its restrictions, is fully provisioned.
The complex is magnificent, very impressive, and well maintained despite its age, but the blatant lack of marketing and selling opportunities was quite stunning.

I've complained to the IRB but don't expect to hear anything.

There was a substantial high energy opening ceremony, but the senior officials and organisers must have been acutely aware of how empty the stands were around it, and I question whether the IRB could come here again with such a misunderstood event provision and low attendance.

There was an amusing aside on the morning of the 3rd day when we saw a scuffle between two National Guardsmen, one of whom had decked the other and given him a bloody nose. The fracas continued as the victim swung twice more at his assailant and all this took place in front of the officers without recourse!

Two small groups of supporters, one Kenyan and the other Fijian, made more noise than the rest of the crowd, except when the thunder came late on Sunday, when general cheering broke out. Play was stopped while the lightning cracked and the heavy rain fell and it did compromise handling when play resumed. For some time, huge bow waves preceded sliding players and tacklers.

However, the rugby was good, especially the final day, and it saw New Zealand win both the Men’s and Ladies’ World Cups to become World Champions for both 15’s and 7’s, Men’s & Women’s, a first. England had a patchy performance and made it to the final, but was rather overwhelmed by New Zealand, whose coach had spotted its weaknesses, particularly in the line-out.