THE IRFU, the Irish Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive have announced that Brian O’Driscoll will act as the Ambassador for Ireland’s bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Philip Browne, Chief Executive of the IRFU, said: " I would like to welcome our Chairman, Dick Spring, Vice Chairman, David Dobbin, Bid Ambassador, Brian O'Driscoll, Páraic Duffy, Director General of the GAA, Shane Logan, CEO Ulster Rugby and Hugo MacNeill, who chaired the initial assessment grouping so professionally, to the RWC 2023 Bid team. They bring an extraordinary array of talent and experience to the project and we very much look forward to working with them.
"This is a very exciting opportunity for Ireland and while competition will be fierce for what is one of the most prized events in world sport, we will leave no stone unturned in putting together a world class case for Ireland to host what would be a hugely successful Rugby World Cup in 2023.
"We already have unqualified support from every quarter, with both Governments fully behind the bid. At this juncture I would like to thank Ministers Donohoe and Ring and Ministers Foster and Ní Chuilín for their unstinting support to date. I also look forward to working with Minister Jonathan Bell in the coming years.
Browne reckons Ireland can host a successful event. "Ireland's record in supporting international events and fixtures shows that we could look forward to full stadia throughout the tournament with the perfect mix of stadia in place, from intimate venues suitable for Pool matches, right up to Croke Park with its 82,000 capacity and all within easy travelling distance of one another."
"As a well-established international tourism destination we can comfortably handle significant numbers of travelling supporters, providing them with ease of access and a mix of accommodation to meet every visitor's needs."
"Finally, given our proximity to major rugby markets, timeline location and the array of major international firms with European bases here I believe Ireland would deliver a highly successful commercial event.”
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