Rugby world cup matches cancelled due to typhoon

Rugby World Cup organisers were forced to call off matches for the first time in the tournament's 32-year history on Thursday, eliminating Italy as a result.

Ryan Brooks reports.

Major match-ups at the Rugby World Cup in Japan are cancelled over a huge storm barreling toward the country.

Super Typhoon Hagibis is set to make landfall Saturday (October 12).

So the England versus France match and New Zealand versus Italy won't go ahead.

Tournament Director Alan Gilpin says safety just can't be guaranteed.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD RUGBY TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR, ALAN GILPIN, SAYING: "Based on this morning's information, from our independent weather experts, Hagibis is expected to be the biggest typhoon of the 2019 season and is highly likely to cause considerable disruption in the Tokyo, Yokohama and City of Toyota areas throughout Saturday, including likely public transport shutdown and disruption.

The risks are just too challenging to allow us to deliver a fair and consistent contingency approach for all teams and participants and importantly, to provide confidence in the safety of spectators.

All fans with tickets for those cancelled matches will receive a full refund." For matches that aren't played, each team will be given two points.

That means Italy is eliminated, while the other three advance.

But it leaves Scotland in a tricky situation.

The team needs a strong win to make it through the group stage against Japan.

That match is Sunday- and could fall victim to the typhoon: Organizers say they'll decide then if the match goes ahead.

If not, host nation Japan will head to the quarter-finals for the first time.