IRELAND are in a three-horse race for the right to stage the 2023 Rugby World Cup after having their bid ratified by governing body World Rugby.
The IRFU will face stiff competition from France and South Africa when the final candidate process officially opens on November 1, although the final decision will not be made until November next year.
Once the final phase of the bidding process begins, it will begin to come apparent just what the Irish are up against, but we can think of 10 simple reasons why the IRFU should be successful.
1. South Africa and France have already staged Rugby World Cups in 1995 and 2007 respectively, a new nation deserves their chance to play host.
2. South Africa are not even fully behind their own bid – the nation’s Sports Minister, Fikile Mbalula, has imposed a ban on their sporting bodies from bidding to host major events as integration targets have not been met. The final phase of their bid may depend on whether he persists with his stance.
3. In contrast, the level of support for Ireland’s bid comes from all quarters, including the public, governments on both sides of the border and other sporting organisations, including – crucially – the GAA, whose stadiums will be used if the IRFU are successful.
4. Hosting is what the Irish specialise in – tourists, businesses, friends and relatives are welcomed with open arms, a reputation that stretches worldwide.
5. The Irish genuinely care about the experience visitors have when they come to the country; few fans of other nations will leave disappointed.
6. The euphoria of hosting the tournament would consume the nation in a positive way, almost as if we had the jolly atmosphere of Italia ’90 or Euro 2016 in our own back yard.
7. A specialist team – including architects, ticketing consultants, media consultants and corporate hospitality consultants – has already visited each of Ireland’s potential venues and developed a programme to ensure each venue more than meets the requirements of a World Cup.
8. It would be an opportunity to showcase to the world the many beautiful stadiums Ireland has to offer – such as Thomond Park (25,000, Limerick), Kingspan Stadium (18,000 capacity, Belfast) and Pairc Ui Chaoimh (45,000 capacity after redevelopment, Cork) – all of which live in the shadow of the world-renowned Croke Park.
9. That said, imagine over 82,000 packed into Croke Park to watch the Rugby World Cup final, who wouldn’t want to be there?
