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It has begun.............
RWC 2011 begins in Caribbean - Rugby News, Results, Fixtures and Features from Planet-Rugby.com
RWC 2011 begins in Caribbean
Thursday 03rd April 2008
World Cup: Up for grabs from April 20
Qualification for the 2011 Rugby World Cup will begin on April 20 in the Cayman Islands, with the 2008 Caribbean Championship doubling as a qualification event.
The hosts kick off against Trinidad and Tobago in the opening match, six months to the day after South Africa claimed their second title in Paris.
The six-day knock-out qualifying Tournament will feature Barbados - who came within a whisker of qualification for the last tournament - the Bahamas, Bermuda, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago and the Cayman Islands, with the final played on April 26.
The winner will progress to meet the winner of the South America Division B Championship involving Colombia or Venezuela, Paraguay, Brazil and Peru.
And there will be a familiar face - and voice - taking charge of the opening match.
"Tony Spreadbury, who refereed the opening match of RWC 2007 in France, has temporarily come out of international retirement to take charge of the first RWC 2011 qualification match between Cayman Islands and Trinidad & Tobago," said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset.
"The IRB is very much looking forward to launching the RWC qualifying process later this month.
"Eight teams will be determined through the global regional qualifying system, which will be completed in 2010 one year before the Tournament. These teams will join South Africa, England, Argentina, France, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Fiji, Wales, Ireland, Tonga and Italy who have automatically qualified for RWC 2011."
The tournament in the Cayman Islands marks the start of a new-look RWC qualifier process that has been streamlined to incorporate established Tournaments across the IRB's six regions (North America & West Indies, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania).
This will remove duplication of matches in an already busy international calendar and includes Tournaments such as the European Nations Cup, the Africa Cup and the restructured Asian Rugby Football Union Tournaments including the Asian Five Nations.
In terms of the regions, Europe and the Americas have been allocated two qualifying places, Africa, Asia and Oceania one place each, with the last place determined by a play-off.
RWC 2011 Caribbean Championship - All times are local
April 20
Cayman Islands v Trinidad & Tobago (10:30)
Guyana v Jamaica (12:30)
Bahamas v Bermuda (14:30)
Barbados v Mexico (16:30)
April 23
Semi-finals (14:30 & 16:30)
April 26
Final (16:30)