Disaster.

For the first time in Rugby World Cup history, two games were called off this morning on safety grounds because of fears over the weather, with the biggest Typhoon of the 2019 season heading to Japan.

Typhoons are common in Japan but this latest one looks set to cause a considerable amount of damage, and World Rugby have made the correct decision in not going ahead with the games as scheduled if people’s lives and safety are going to be at risk.

But there should have been a contingency plan lads. Let’s be honest here. This is rugby’s showpiece event. This is the biggest rugby tournament in the world that only comes around once every four years.

Provisions should have put in place. Japan’s typhoon season ranges from May to October each year, peaking in August and September. While the chances of a typhoon this bad hitting were very low – there was always a chance, and risk management measures should have been put in place.

We all laughed when articles emerged ahead of the tournament revealing that if matches get cancelled they will not be rescheduled – instead, we were told each they will be marked as a draw with each team receiving two points. Who’s laughing now?

England and France will no longer take place. Italy and the All Blacks? That’s gone too. What about Scotland and Japan? Sure who knows. All we know is this will be a Rugby World Cup to forget.

No matter what happens now, the sooner this World Cup is over the better. It’s a farce and there are no two ways about it. We do not have a definitive winner of Pool B or Pool C and Pool A is could join them. Those games should have been moved or played behind closed doors if possible. Simple as. World Rugby should have prepared for this.

England are Pool C winners by default. Sure, maybe they would have beaten France but who are we to say? Stranger things have happened. France are unbeaten at the World Cup the same as England after all.

And what about Italy? Was an upset against the All Blacks unlikely? You betcha. Was it impossible? Of course not. Just ask Japan. And now we have another default pool winner. We cannot say which teams should have faced off in the quarter-finals for certain. Just by default.

And What if England or the All Blacks picked up injuries during them cancelled games? Suspensions? We’ll never know. They’ve got the night off now. Put the feet up lads. Nothing is at risk in the final pool game.

Is it also fair now that France, New Zealand and England all now have extra time off before the quarter-finals? No, it most certainly is not. Anyone that has played a game of rugby at any level will be able to tell you the toll a game has on the body. Now imagine it at the very highest level. That week will be huge and gives all three a distinct advantage in the knockout stages.

Therefore we cannot crown a definitive champion.

Whoever wins will have their name on the trophy. But the sooner we scratch in 2023’s winners, the better. Because this is a tournament we all will want to forget about. And that’s before we even mention the match officials and how they’ve handled the entire event.

Oh and we still don’t even know if the Scotland vs Japan match is going ahead either. That hurts just to think about it.