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2023 Rugby World Cup Bid

107K views 508 replies 49 participants last post by  PeteC 
#1 ·
The bid seems to be gathering pace

IRFU want GAA grounds for World Cup bid




Croke Park

The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has had preliminary discussions with the GAA about the availability of GAA grounds as part of a possible bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

"The IRFU fully understands and respects this process and looks forward to the GAA’s response in due course, while also acknowledging that any bid would be heavily dependent on support from the Government and the GAA," said an IRFU statement.

The number of stadia that would be required for the tournament has not yet been decided, but a key element will be to establish the number of locations and venues available before a feasibility study is undertaken to determine Ireland’s overall capacity to host the tournament.

IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne said: "The Rugby World Cup in New Zealand showed what a country of four million people could achieve in terms of attracting visitors and showcasing the potential of a country, so an overall Ireland bid is something that the government was keen to discuss with us.

"I think everybody is aware of the benefits from both a social and economic perspective that would come from hosting the third largest sporting event on the globe.

"We are at the early stages of examining the feasibility of a bid and part of this study is to determine the interest and support of Government and other relevant bodies."
http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/irfu-want-gaa-grounds-for-world-cup-bid-563530.html


Let's keep this thread to track progress.:)
 
#36 · (Edited)
RDS has to be used, there are plans to increase it's capacity to something like 23,000. Tallaght Stadium is a non-runner because even 3 stadiums in Dublin is pushing it.

Without the RDS, what we'd be proposing to the IRB is "Give us the RWC and we'll develop lots of GAA stadiums". We'd have to show them how Irish rugby will benefit from hosting the RWC here. And without the RDS, the only rugby stadiums that would host it are Thomond Park and the Aviva.

I think the Sportsground is too small as it is and I can't really see how it can be developed without turning it into a stadium.

My pick would be..

Dublin:
Croker
Aviva
RDS - Development needed

Belfast:
Ravenhill
Casement Park - NI Executive and the GAA have already agreed to redevelop it to a truly world class facility.

Limerick:
Thomond Park
Gaelic Grounds - I don't think Limerick's size is a problem. Yes, Thomond Park is the home of Munster Rugby but that makes Limerick itself is the home of Munster Rugby.

Cork:
Pairc Ui Caoimh - Due to be redeveloped I think? But from what I remember, the plans were a bit disappointing.

We'd need 3 or 4 more spread around the island. McHale, Semple and Nowlan are all too isolated.
I'd love to see the Fitzgerald Stadium host it but is it not something like 80% terracing?
 
#37 ·
I don't see the need for stadia outside the island of Ireland.

I don't see why Belfast couldn't host games at Ravenhill, Windsor Park and Casement Park. By 2023 all three will have been redeveloped into modern fully capable stadia. Windsor Park is located close to a station on the railway network, no reason why special cross-border trains couldn't stop there.
 
#39 ·
It's not amazing although it does hold 22,000. I've no idea if there are any plans to develop though. TBH if we get it I only see Belfast hosting, no where else in NI has the capacity to accommodate the visitors in terms of facilities such as transport, hotels and other 'attractions'. Although Derry could be considered after the success this year as Capital of Culture.

Belfast hosted the World Police and Fire Games rather well so although Derry is a maybe but I think it's unlikely given that Belfast will have three modern stadia.
 
#42 ·
It certainly does make sense but I can see some feathers ruffled if all the NI games are in Belfast.

Then again maybe more people would be annoyed if a relatively new stadium in Belfast is scorned in favour of doing up Celtic park. It could be seen as a waste of money.
 
#44 ·
Right, so I'm not so sure that using dilapidated GAA stadia in small town with possible a lack of accommodation for fans. I think that using the likes of Mchale Park (just as an example) would mean that a huge amount of money would need to be spent refurbishing (i.e. completely rebuilding the stadium). I dunno if that's gonna be feasible/desirable for our bid.

What do you guys think? For me, it would be nice to have a good spread of stadia but not at the expense of quality facilities. We want to show our best face and I think that requires using modern facilities. In my mind, most GAA grounds are woefully lacking in even the basic facilities. Keeping McHale Park in mind, it was often lauded by people in Mayo as being "the only all-seater stadium in Ireland" (pre-Aviva). Now if we take these standards then a 50 year old concrete bench (wet mind you) counts as an all seater stadium. This applies across the board for most large GAA stadia outside of the big cities. Effectively, huge grey shitholes.

I honestly cant see us winning a bid that contains the likes of Semple Stadium and Breffni Park without plans for completely tearing them down and building top class stadia in their place. Which as we know isn't gonna happen.



Now, tear what I said apart if you want; here's my proposal. And it's primarily based on using the best facilities for spectators, large urban areas to house them, and facilities in the grounds themselves for media, spectators blah blah blah.


anyways enough yakking

The No-Brainers
Croke Park (82,000)
Aviva (52,000)
Thomond Park (26,000)
Ravenhill (18,000) - Ulster are growing in a big way, if in the next 5-6 years they win that Heineken Cup that they're looking for I wouldn't be surprised if the corners were filled in by 2023. (21,000???)

Redeveloped
Casement Park (40,000)
PuC (45,000)
Windsor Park (25,000) - Well if the whole theme of the bid is going to be unity... scratch that, cross border, cross-code cooperation wouldn't it be a shame if one of the principal sporting bodies on the island isn't represented)
RDS (23,000?) - Leinster have embryonic plans to redevelop the ground into a 23,000?ish stadium with both new terracing and seating http://www.coybib.com/coybib-exclusive-rds-redevelopment-plans/

The Brainers
Tallaght Stadium Ok its small now, but Shamrock Rovers fan base is growing. 2 new stands behind each goal to complete the bowl (even temporary) would make a tidy little stadium and with great transport links. Irish Wolfhounds already play there so it has a rugby link. Would be perfect for a minnows match and it is a small, comfortable stadium.

Pearse Stadium 26,000 The only large stadium in Galway. While I did say have too much of a spread for a spreads sake isn't a good idea, I can't imagine a bid without a stadium in Galway. It would need a big refurb and isn't in a good location.

Refurbished Sportsgrounds/New Galway Stadium 8,000-15,000 My preferred candidate for a galway. Either buyout the dogtrack and do a complete rebuild from scratch or a new purpose built stadium in Galway. Connacht already have a decent fan base in Pro12 terms, averaging about 4-5000 despite the caveman setup they have at the sportsgrounds atm. Connacht like Ulster is growing quickly and a new stadium of circa 8-10,000 isn't a madcap idea. Could be temporarily 15,000 for the world cup and then reduced.

Celtic Grounds in Derry/ NEW DERRY MUNICIPAL STADIUM 18,000? Derry is in need of a decent stadium. Pretty big urban base and with both Derry gaelic football and Derry association football they have a thriving sports community. ULSTER RUGBY might want to try and expand their supporter base outside of the city like Leinster have tried to do and maybe play some games outside of Belfast.

Musgrave Park Hear me out, Munster have plans to redevelop it in the next year and previously had plans to redevelop it into a 20,000 seater stadium. Maybe somewhere in between would give 15,000 seater stadium. Not bad for a minnows match.

Various redeveloped GAA stadia Honestly can't see the likes of Semple getting money to redevelop for RWC but maybe Gaelic Ground, Nowlan Park or Walsh Park which are in pretty big urban areas which could make it seem a little less like a white elephant.

Anyway thats my lot. My preferred list would be

Croker
Avivia
RDS
Tallaght
Casement Park
Windsor Park
Pairc Uí Caoimh
Musgrave Park
Thomond
NEW GALWAY STADIUM/ Redeloped Pearse/Redeveloped Sportsgrounds
Derry Stadium
Redeveloped Nowlan Park/ New Kilkenny Stadium

Thoughts?
 
#45 ·
Croker
Avivia
RDS
Tallaght
Ravenhill
Casement Park
Windsor Park
Pairc Uí Caoimh
Musgrave Park
Thomond
NEW GALWAY STADIUM/ Redeloped Pearse/Redeveloped Sportsgrounds
Derry Stadium
Redeveloped Nowlan Park/ New Kilkenny Stadium

Thoughts?

You forgot Ravenhill
 
#47 ·
I'm not that knowledgeable regarding possible stadia outside of Dublin and Belfast in fairness so not really in a position to comment on them. I do however agree that we should be looking at using quality stadia that can offer facilities required for such an event. Hence my preference for the use of the three re-developed stadia in Belfast and hopefully three in Dublin.

I agree that sharing the games should be important but not at the expense of the game experience and fan facilities. I know to some it may appear like Belfast and Dublin are grabbing them all for themselves but at the end of the day by 2023 those two cities will have the superior venues. Of course Cork and Limerick will also have great venues.
 
#48 ·
In reality we can rule out Tallght Stadium and Musgrave Park. They will not get enough use post RWC to justify the cost of rebuilding them into modern ~15,000 seater stadiums. It would be a waste of money to do so for 1 or 2 RWC games and would mean a terrible atmosphere in the stadium thereafter because the stadium would almost never be even half filled again. Similar story for Walsh Park, Nowlan Park and Celtic Park, they may get filled once or twice a year but still not enough to justify the cost of a complete rebuild, which is what would be required.

I think a new shared stadium is the way to go in Galway. It is not ideal for rugby to be played on a GAA sized pitch but it is better than the current situation of having a dog track around it for Connacht. I am sure both Galway County Board and Connacht Rugby would jump at the chance at developing a brand new stadium with all mod cons. It would also be a big asset for the city to have somewhere to host large concerts and events. Is there any suitable green/brown field sites available or is the Sportsgrounds the only viable option for such a development?
 
#49 · (Edited)
The idea of having 3 venues in Dublin or Belfast is ridiculous. There must be some geographical spread when it comes to these things. The Aviva and RDS are just a stones throw from each other and having matches on the same day would be very difficult logistically.

New Zealand when they hosted it, built it around 3 cities and stadia, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch(which was hit by the quake and Dunedin stepping in)

All the big games were played in these venues with top class facilities and the capacity(just about) to host travelling supporters. Smaller games distributed to smaller towns with pretty dated grounds.

I'd imagine Ireland would be looking to do similar, but have the ability to deliver it at a higher quality and capacity for spectators..

Big games would be based around Dublin, Belfast and Cork; Croke Park and Aviva with seating capacity of 75k and 51.5k. Casement with all seater capacity of 40k and Pairc Ui Chaoimh with a fully seated redevelopment of 40 - 50k.

Limerick and Galway would then have to be upgraded to allow for more middling games. Pearce Stadium and Thomond Park both already of some reasonable facilities but would need investment to be brought up to 30kish all seated. Ravenhill too with temporary seating could be 20k+.

Cork and Galway should be upgraded on the basis that they are for shared multisport use and upgraded to a high spec allowing Ireland to be part of a Celtic bid for a Uefa European Championships down the line.

Thats seven quality grounds that would provide for most of the games. Derry, Kilkenny and Killarney would all as towns have the capacity to provide for smaller games. With their GAA ground not quite up to the standard required, but with temporary seating applied to terraces and media and corporate facilities added, they could work for lesser games.

Thats 10 venues with and excellent geographic spread, based on existing ground that while would need some development, do have all lot of what is already required.

If compared to RWC 2011 it looks like this

Croke Park 75k .............. Eden Park(Auckland) 60k
Pairc ui Chaoimh 45k....... Wespak Stadium(Wellington) 40k
Casement Park 40k......... Lancaster Park(Christchurch, destroyed, never used) 40k
Aviva Stadium 51.5k............... Waikato Stadium(Hamilton) 36k(including temp seating)
Thomond Park 30k ......... Forsyth Barr Stadium(Duniden) 30k
Pearce Stadium 30k ....... North harbour Stadium(Auckland) 30k(including temp seating)
Ravenhill 20-25k.............Rotorua International Stadium 36k(including temp seating and grass banks)


Derry, Kilkenny and Killarney could all offer far better then the equivalent in 2011.

Certainly the bid stacks up very well against 2011, blows it out of the water in my biased opinion. I'd imagine the RWC will return to Europe in 2023. Italy would probably be the main threat unless France went for it again. After Japan in 2019, which I believe will be a disaster an Irish RWC would possibly be less of a risk for the IRB.
 
#51 ·
The idea of having 3 venues in Dublin or Belfast is ridiculous.
Why?

Around 70% of the population of the island live in either Leinster or Ulster.
And there's only one city in each province capable of hosting games, Dublin and Belfast, the two capital cities.

When it comes to Munster, it's a different story. There are two cities, the population is more spread out, they both have relatively good stadiums, accommodation, transport and rugby fans. So we can easily have two stadia in Limerick and one in Cork.

As much as I'd like to see the matches spread across the country, you seem to be so concerned with spreading it geographically that you're forgetting that some of these stadiums are just located in local towns where locals go down for the weekly GAA matches and go home. Towns like Kilkenny can't host RWC matches, even small ones, due to lack of accommodation and transport links and it's hard to see how it can be paid for too when it will get little or no use afterwards.

Also, the IRB will want to see how the RWC will leave a rugby legacy in the country and how rugby stadiums and facilities will benefit from it - not just the GAA.
 
#50 ·
Geographical spread is a nice idea but the reality is that the cost of redeveloping a stadium cannot be justified on the basis of 2 or 3 matches. Any stadium being redeveloped would need to regularly host large events year after year, this rules out Kilkenny and Derry for RWC.

The only way I could see those stadia being redeveloped is if the GAA decided to reinvest the money it gets from the RWC into them.
 
#52 ·
I thought the list of stadiums to be used is pretty much sorted.

From the RFU
Aviva
Ravenhill
Thomond
RDS

The GAA gave the go ahead for 6 stadiums to be included in such a bid
Croke
Pearse
Casement
Pairc ui Chaoimh
Fitzgerald
Gaelic Grounds

I have also heard McHale mentioned so I dont know if that is the case or just a back up plan.
Other than that the only other viable venues would be Nowlan and of course Windsor but I think Windsor will be overlooked as Ravenhill will have the same capacity (all seater not needed for RWC as grassy banks in NZ proved).
I think the bid will compare favourably to the NZ bid but will look a little light compared to the next finals in England and Japan.
People have mentioned that some sort of Rugby legacy is needed so all the GAA involvement will be frowned upon but thats rubbish as the English bid favoured large capacity football grounds over adequate rugby alternatives

PS under no circumstances should the Millenium stadium be included. Its getting a bit tiresome that every world cup in Europe has games in Cardiff also the chancers wanted the HOSTS England in 2015 to play the match against Wales in Cardiff
 
#53 · (Edited)
Ill go through each of the grounds, I did something similar on one of the other threads a while back. I think the bones of a bid are there but I do think many GAA grounds will need development although it can be done at a good price just look at Ravenhill a nice new modern stadium for less than 20 million so we are not talikng about building a couple of new Avivas or something and any cost to the government will easily be recouped by hosting such an event. NZ got away with some dodgy grounds because of the status NZ has in world Rugby, we wont be given such leniency hence why the GAA crumbling terraces and concrete benches will need to go and some roofs finally placed in some of these grounds. I think we can do it but if Italy or Argentina bid then we wont have a chance.

Aviva



Obviously good to go and will host a number of matches capacity 51000

Ravenhill



The last stand is currently being developed and will be ready next spring, capacity 18000 and the corners can be developed to create a 'bowl' if required

Thomond



Great stadium although it might be worth looking at improving the ends to help 'finish' the stadium, maybe even try and increase capcity although not much room I know, capacity 26000

RDS



As it is now but it is likely to be redeveloped before 2023 to around 23000



Croke



Will almost certainly host the final and the latter stages of the RWC wont clash with any GAA games, capacity 83000 - hopefully by 2023 they may decide to do something with the eyesore that is the hill.

Pearse



One stand is fine but the other 3 will need development, as stated earlier might make more sense to build a new municipal rugby/football stadium in Galway and show off to the IRB some development of the game in Connacht.

Casement



Will be a fantastic 38000 all seater stadium, work due to start very soon although some current problems with the local residents

Pairc ui Chaoimh





To be redeveloped soon. Will be fine for RWC bid but I cant believe for the money being thrown at it they will just have one new stand and just a lick of paint on the rest of the ground - disgracefull stuff.
Capacity 45000

Fitzgerald



Atruly fantastic setting and although the town is small will obviuosly be able to handle visitor numbers. The stadium itself though will need to be rebuilt from scratch

Gaelic Grounds







Typifies everything that is wrong with modern GAA developments - not thought out and incredibly poor design and construction for this day and age. No roof in the west of Ireland and floodlights plonked in the middle of terraces doh. Good news is that it could be converted into a great stadium for not a whole lot of money, capacity 50000

The rest

McHale



One modern stand (although what architect uses pillars these days to support a roof, Leicester built the caterpillar stand for the same money and same capacity yet it looks 10 times better.
The remaining 3 stands would need work, not convinced Castlebar could be a host town!



Windsor Park



Great new development, capacity 18000 but dont think it will be needed as Ravenhill will have the same capacity

Nowlan





Would need major work ie a rebuild but its location is better than Castlebars for travelling fans

Elsewhere I can only think of maybe Waterford or Thurles.



Semple with some money could be a top stadium but the idea of Thurles hosting say 50000 Australians and Welsh fans is madness. Waterford at least has a population to cope with a number of visitors but again we would need a new stadium
 
#55 ·
i hate how the tone in this forum is always people bashing each other over the head. Just relax and take in what people are saying :bash:

I gotta say, I think comparing how favourably we come out against New Zealand 2011 is a non-runner. We aren't going to be competing with New Zealand, we'll be competing against Italy and South Africa. There are a number of unbelievable stadia in SA. We can't got to the IRB with a couple of, frankly, dilaidated GAA stadia are not going to cut it for the bid.

Are we really going to rebuild Fitzgerald Stadium from scratch when realistically, there are only going to be 2-3 games each year where it might be full.

Same can be said of nearly all GAA grounds. Dumps in my opinion.

Look logistics could well be a problem with have a lot of grounds in a few Dublin or Belfast but I don't think its unworkable. Couldn't there be a game in RDS at, for example 1o'clock, and another at maybe 6 in the Aviva. That might be possible. And if not there's still no reason why RDS and Aviva games being on different days means it can't be done. It's possible is all im saying.

This would be the biggest sporting event Ireland has ever seen and I'd imagine everyone, not just rugby fans, are going to want to be a part of it. I don't know why people wouldn't get bums on seats.

I can't see the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick being used. Its not got the facilites and I shudder to think of the bodge job conversion that might be done if it gets "redeveloped"

We need our best facilities, corporate etc. in our most modern stadia in accessible places with god transport links and hotel spaces.

That rules out a hell of a lot of county grounds
 
#56 ·
Great post.

Firstly I hope my tone wasn't construed as bashing, because it certainly wasn't meant to be. To describe the suggestion of multiple venues as ridiculous I think is pretty fair, but not meant to offend anyone who makes it. There is just little or no justification or precedent for it other then there is a field there that can host a match.

I agree about the comparison with NZ, their WC was on such a limited scale that it will never happen again. But I believe that the venues I suggest blow it out of the water.

You are also quite correct about the competition. I certainly believe that SA will be the main competition. They certainly have the infrastructure from the FIFA WC and would make wonderful hosts nearly 30 years on from 95. I do however belive that the IRB would wish the tournament to come back to Europe following Japan in 2019, which could go in our favour. South Africa time zone however is in line with Europe so for TV it would work for them.

Italy would be a risk. Rugby is quite slow in its development there imo and they would have been expected to have moved further along in the last 15 years considering the investment in the game there. Following potential disaster of a WC in Japan I think the IRB will be reluctant to take on another big risk straight after.

On county GAA grounds you are again correct. Something will be done with Casement and PuC, long talked about and finally seems like plans are settled on RWC or not.

Of the other three Pearse is the only ground that I would suggest needs a full or almost full rebuild.

Pearse and PuC should be developed as GAA grounds available for municipal use. Any development should be to a very high standard and allow for further development to allow them to be upgraded to UEFA standard in order to be part of any bid for a Euros.

I appreciate that what is said about other country grounds is very vague. I wouldn't be proposing any huge amount of money put in to either.

Nowlan and Fitzgerald would be retro fitted and have new changing and media facilities added along with floodlights. With their existing stands remaining with new seating. Terracing could be modified to allow for removable seating such as the Hill in CP. With the ends simply covered and unused. These grounds would need only to be able to cater for fifteen to twenty thousand people and be able to return to the soviet style grounds with large capacities they have now only with better improved facilitates.
 
#62 ·
Fair play to Ulster Rugby. Ravenhill looks great and its staggering how quickly its being built, and, with no disruption of the home games!

Likewise, Casement Park looks absolutely class in the video. I know I am nitpicking, but, I still fail to see why they are leaving one end uncovered. Particularly, given that this end is the least obtrusive facing as it does a road as opposed to residential housing.

C
 
#64 ·
Just looking at the suggested venues on the previous pages, vis-à-vis geography, Galway and the West seem to be the fly in the ointment.

Galway City is the obvious location in terms of available tourist and accommodation facilities. However, there is a paucity of Stadia in the City. The Showgrounds and Terryland Park are both unsuitable for varying reasons. Or at least they would need major upgrades, including the removal of the dog track in the Showgrounds case.

Likewise, there don't seem to be any major reconstruction plans for Pearse Stadium. On paper its capacity looks good, however, basically its the typical GAA Concrete bowl, with little or nothing in the way of amenities for journalists, spectators, corporate clients etc.

C
 
#65 ·
Pearse has been given the go ahead to be used by the gaa so I'm certain it will be included in the bid. The big problem with the ground is the location. The actual stadium has 1 good stand but I would hope there would be a plan to at least develop the other side so it has some modern amenities, I guess it will depend on what actual matches will be held in Galway. There will be 4 groups each with at least 1 glamour match they cant all be restricted to Dublin. Casement looks as if it could deal with the big games maybe the new pairc UI Chaoimh but where else, at least one of the other gaa grounds is going to need some serious development. The good news is that Ulster rugby showed that a nice ground Can be built for very little.
You also mentioned the open end at casement. As far as I am aware it is for 2 reasons a, to reduce the shadow on Anderson town road and b, to maximise capacity on a very tight site
 
#67 ·
BTW, Johnny....to address the point regarding the Andersonstown road....surely if a roof is deemed appropriate looming over adjacent 30ft long residential back gardens, then sure a minor impingement on a public space is fine?!

In practical terms, many new stadia such as the Avia (Havelock Sq end) use transparent coverings which reduce impact.

C
 
#68 ·
Well there is still a huge degree of opposition to the development amongst the locals who most certainly are not happy about the height of the stands. In an ideal world the stadium would be built elsewhere but I'm sure a green field site would encounter greater opposition. I'm afraid the residents have a tough battle because there is no way th gaa will reduce the capacity and for that capacity you wont find a lower stadium as the playing surface is sunk. The original plans had a massive roof at the andytown road end so I guess it going is the gaa showing some flexibility and compromise
 
#69 · (Edited)
As for the other big ground needed for the world cup then I would guess it will be down to Pearse or Fitzgerald that will get the big make over. I'm guessing whichever is the cheaper option will win other than that then you are probably looking at the gaelic grounds which i still think could be converted/redeveloped ok as it does have some space around it on 3 sides
 
#71 ·
Working group to consider all-island bid for 2023 World Cup

Updated: Wednesday, 22 Jan 2014 13:51

A working group has been set up by governments on both sides of the Irish border to lay the groundwork for a potential all-island bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Ministers from Belfast and Dublin met in Armagh on Wednesday to discuss the now likely prospect of a joint pitch to stage the sport's showpiece event.

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar said Ireland had what it took to stage a successful world cup.

"Minister [Michael] Ring and I were delighted to meet with ministers [Arlene] Foster and [Carál] Ní Chuilín to discuss the possibility of making a formal bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup," Varadkar said.

"It was a very useful meeting and we have now agreed to set up a working group to draw up the road map for our bid.

"It's still very early days, but the four of us believe that Ireland has what it takes to host a cracking World Cup."

Ring said the Rugby World Cup was potentially the biggest sporting event Ireland could stage.

"An event of this scale will not only have a great benefit for rugby but will also raise the profile of what sport can do for the country," he said. "We all witnessed the massive boost to the national mood that was provided by the London Olympics.

"The Rugby World Cup is probably the largest event we could ever host on our own on the island and I would hope it would have a similar impact here.

"Sport is a great unifier, it brings people together and large events like this can also bring about a great sense of pride."

Their agreed working group will be made up of the key bodies associated with preparing a bid and it will report back to both governments in a few months.

Ministers will then consider how to move forward to submit a formal application to host the tournament. Ní Chuilín said a lot of work was needed to get to that position.

"The island of Ireland has a lot to offer the global rugby family and there would be a lot of benefits to be gained by hosting such a prestigious event," she said.

"The [Stormont] Executive is investing £110million in upgrading stadia in Belfast, which includes the redevelopment of Ravenhill [the home of Ulster Rugby].

"While we would have world class venues to host the Rugby World Cup, there is a lot of work required to get us into a position to make a successful bid."

Foster added: "As we already know, sport is an incredibly powerful sales tool that has the power to attract thousands of international visitors.

"Northern Ireland hosted the hugely successful Irish Open in 2012 and this year, La Grande Partenza or Big Start of the Giro d'Italia will take place in May.

"Hosting events such as this provides us with a tremendous opportunity to grow tourism, boost visitor spending, and stimulate the continued growth of the Northern Ireland economy."

Story from RTÉ Sport:
http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup/2014/0122/499438-all-island-world-cup-bid-considered/
...
 
#73 ·
Somehow I don't think so. Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Killarney, Castlebar and Kilkenny are all looking like host cities within Ireland besides so Derry could very well be surplus to requirements. Also, quite a lot of money has already been invested in Ravenhill and Casement Park upgrades so the NI executive mightn't be able to stretch the Westminster grant further on a new stadium for Derry.

Ravenhill is looking increasingly superb with the new stands making a tremendous impact. It reflects Ulster's rise as a rugby power in Europe and the Rabo that they have a far more impressive home arena. I'm looking forward to watching the quarter-final between them and Saracens when hopefully Ulster can christen the expanded stadium by beating them.
 
#80 ·
It would be odd to let US host a RWC after Japan. While I'm all for giving developing the sport worldwide, you have to give your rugby home countries a chance too.

After Japan 2019, I'd like to see Ireland 2023 followed by US or Argentina 2027.
That seems to be the chosen path based on various leaks from informed sources.

I believe there is also a tradition of alternating between the two broad Northern/Southern camps in World Rugby. That's the reason afterall that Japan didn't host WRC 2011, when NZ somewhat controversially won the decision.

BTW, what Countries are confirmed to be entering the bidding. I've heard of the USA and possibly Russia. Although, in light of recent events they are making themselves an unfavourable choice. Likewise, Argentina and Italy are also being mentioned in relation to 2023, but also to 2027.

C
 
#82 ·
Thanks Buddy!!

I guess we could potentially rule of those who were recent hosts. Which effectively leaves us in a field of 5. However, Japan (2019 hosts) although Northern Hemisphere, in Rugby terms are usually grouped with the Southern Hemisphere and Pacific Island nations. Meaning that the WRC will probably be coming up North for 2023. On that basis, I think USA and Italy are our true competitors.

C
 
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