Irish "hopes" of hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2023 "received a major setback" on Tuesday when World Rugby recommended South Africa, ahead of France and Ireland, to stage the tournament, according to Garry Doyle of the LONDON TIMES. No matter how much Irish Bid Chair Dick Spring "tried to sugarcoat the news" -- and notwithstanding the fact there is a difference between a recommendation from the governing body and an actual vote -- the chances of a successful Irish bid have "decreased substantially" on the back of Tuesday’s published report on the technical examination. Former Irish rugby int'l Spring said, "There's nothing in there [the report] that is insurmountable. This is certainly not the end of the road." Perhaps not, yet it "does feel as though Ireland's bid has been diverted down a cul-de-sac." World Rugby Chair Bill Beaumont said, "The comprehensive and independently scrutinized evaluation reaffirmed that we have three exceptional bids but it also identified South Africa as a clear leader based on performance against the key criteria." Within the last line of Beaumont's statement "lies a glimmer of hope for Ireland," which Spring was "doing his best to cling onto." Spring said, "We must remember this is a two-stage process" (LONDON TIMES, 10/31). In London, Jack de Menezes reported Ireland, which was the initial favorite to host the tournament, finished last in World Rugby's recommendation with a rating of 72.25%, while South Africa led the way with 78.97%, with France scoring 75.88%. As part of the five-part process, World Rugby "considered vision and hosting concept, tournament, organisation and schedule, venues and host cities, tournament infrastructure and finance, commercial and commitments." South Africa "famously held the 1995 Rugby World Cup" during a time in which "apartheid was still very much the major talking point in the country." And the sight of Nelson Mandela handing the Webb Ellis Cup to Springboks’ captain Francois Pienaar after the final victory over New Zealand remains "one of the most iconic images in world sport" (INDEPENDENT, 10/31).
TRANSPARENT PROCESS: In London, Chris Foy reported the candidate nations do not have a vote, "but there are three each for the rest of the Six Nations and SANZAAR countries" -- England, Italy, Scotland, Wales, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. Each of the six regional associations -- Oceania, Sudamerica, Americas North, Europe, Africa and Asia -- have two votes, while Canada, Georgia, Romania and the U.S. have one vote each, "for an overall total of 39." In the past, there have been "blatant examples of political horse-trading and murky power struggles in the build-up to World Cup hosting votes." However, World Rugby has been determined to produce a "fairer and more transparent process, leading to a belief that the ballot should be a formality," in ratifying the auditors' recommendation (DAILY MAIL, 10/31).
FRANCE REACTS: L’ÉQUIPE reported French Rugby Federation (FFR) President Bernard Laporte insisted that his organization has not "given up hope" of hosting the '23 event. Laporte said, "In its assessment report, RWCL placed France 2023 in top position on the main criterion: the financial offer and the guarantees. ... We need to reassure the voting federations on the quality of our infrastructures and our venues." He added, "In this final point, we are more mobilized and determined than ever to convince the voting federations that France is the best choice for World Cup 2023" (L’ÉQUIPE, 10/31).
