Ireland Looking At Bid For 2023 Rugby World Cup

Philip Browne, the chief executive of the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), has confirmed that a bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup is under consideration by the country’s sport stakeholders.

Browne told the Sunday Independent newspaper that political support for the bid would be crucial, particularly as the International Rugby Board requires the host country of the Rugby World Cup to commit a significant hosting fee, which will be Eur115 million for the 2019 edition of the event in Japan. The newspaper added that Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, is a keen proponent of a bid.

“It's something that we've looked at in the past and coming back from New Zealand (from the 2011 Rugby World Cup) and seeing what they were able to do there, we said ‘let's have a look at it again’,” Browne said. “So that's all we're doing: having a think about it. It's a question ultimately of whether the government wants to get involved in it or not. If they don't want to get involved in it then it doesn't happen.”

The newspaper quoted a source close to Varadkar as saying that “any initiative would have to be led by the IRFU”. The source added: “The Minister wants to see it happen but would need first to see if it is feasible. This has been canvassed, something concrete is happening... and if it is feasible it would be fantastic.”

Varadkar is understood to be attracted by “the huge tourist and macro-economic boost and the positive effect on national morale hosting such a tremendous sporting event would have.” A spokesman for the Department for Transport, Tourism and Sport said: “We already have the stadiums and infrastructure for such a competition... and the 2011 Rugby World Cup proved small countries can hold such an event.”

Ireland currently has one of the most unstable economies in Europe, but New Zealand’s gross domestic product increased by 0.8% in the third quarter of 2011, with economists having cited the positive impact of spending in relation to the Rugby World Cup. Other sources were quoted as saying that a 2023 Rugby World Cup bid from Ireland could feature Wales, Scotland or even England staging matches.

Source: sportbusiness.com