The 2007 contest may only have been 6 months ago, but the qualification for Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand starts on April 20 in the Cayman Islands as the 2008 Caribbean Championship doubles as a RWC 2011 qualifying event. This will be the first time it has begun in the Caribbean.
The host nation Cayman Islands will play Trinidad & Tobago on April 20 in the first match of the Championship, Tony Spreadbury will referee having temporarily come out of international retirement to do so. The six-day knockout qualifying Tournament will feature Barbados, 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.
The qualifiers for 2011 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 5 Nations.
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
April 20
Cayman Islands v Trinidad & Tobago
Guyana v Jamaica
Bahamas v Bermuda
Barbados v Mexico
April 23
Semi-finals
April 26
Final