IRELAND Rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll led an open-top bus, musicians and flag-bearers from Aviva Stadium to World Rugby’s HQ in Dublin’s Pembroke Street as Ireland submitted its formal bid to host the 2023 World Cup.
Bid Ambassador O’Driscoll was joined by Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt as he handed in the 990-page document, which outlines Ireland’s plan to run a “tournament like no other”.
Ireland face competition from France and South Africa – who have submitted their own bids. South Africa last hosted the Rugby World Cup in 1995.
France have never hosted their own Rugby World Cup, but did co-host the competition in 1991 alongside England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland.
"We're quietly confident but at the same time realistic that the competition is fierce in France and South Africa, two countries who've hosted it already and who have experience," Brian O’Driscoll told RTÉ at the launch.
Bid Ambassador Brian O'Driscoll was joined by Dick Spring to submit the bid. Picture: Inpho"The welcome that you're guaranteed in this country... you might not be guaranteed any sort of weather, but one thing that is certain is the welcome that you'll get in the 32 counties.”
"We saw back in 2003 in the Special Olympics, how the country embraced that. This is a considerably bigger competition, probably the biggest the country is ever likely to host.
"You can just envisage towns and villages embracing a second team as their own. I know there'd be a carnival atmosphere and we would put on a phenomenal show."
Over 100 children from different schools and rugby clubs around the country joined O’Driscoll to submit the bid.
They were joined by Dick Spring, Chairman of Ireland's Bid Oversight Board and Philip Browne, CEO of the IRFU.
Here's the Bid. #Ireland2023 @WorldRugby @BrianODriscoll pic.twitter.com/JYgyKGvkoj
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) June 1, 2017
