England bid for World Cup backed by officials

Published on Tuesday 30 June 2009 22:46

ENGLAND won a significant victory in their campaign to host the 2015 World Cup after tournament organisers officially endorsed their bid.

The board of Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) recommended the 2015 event be staged in England and suggested Japan become the first emerging nation to host the tournament four years later.

RWCL is an arm of the International Rugby Board. The final decision will be made by the IRB council on 28 July.

England, who last staged the World Cup in 1991, earned the valuable RWCL recommendation ahead of rivals South Africa and Italy due to the financial strength of their bid.

The RFU pitched a "low risk, high reward" tournament that would maximise revenues for the IRB, allowing the game to take a step into the unknown in 2019.

World Cup chairman Bernard Lapasset said: "After detailed review the board decided that England and Japan would provide the best balanced combination of hosts for the continued worldwide development of the game.

"A tournament in England would allow the IRB to maximise funding available for investment in the game through a strong commercial programme and a great RWC showcase.

"The RWCL Board believes that a Rugby World Cup in Japan would provide a gateway to the further development and expansion of the game in Asia, reaching out to new young fans and providing a superb spectacle for the sport."

The 2015 Rugby World Cup would fall in the middle of the so-called 'Decade of Sport', which could see Britain hosting the three biggest sporting events in the world.

On the back of the London Olympics, the government believe a successful bid from the RFU would provide the Football Association's campaign to host the 2018 World Cup with a major shot in the arm. The government has agreed to underwrite part of the 80million tournament fee the RFU would be liable for in 2015 and provide all security outside of the stadia.

A recent report concluded that hosting a Rugby World Cup was worth 2.1billion to the national economy.

Don Foster, spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, said: "This is a major milestone on the journey towards the awarding of the Rugby World Cup 2015. If the IRB picks England to be the host nation at its meeting next month it will be a huge achievement and a real boost for both the sport and the economy. We also have high hopes for the football World Cup 2018 bid. There is a great chance of a decade of world class sport in Britain."

England would use stadia such as Wembley, Anfield, Old Trafford and the Emirates Stadium for the tournament, with the final at Twickenham.

Martyn Thomas, the RFU chairman, said: "The RFU is delighted that Rugby World Cup Limited has decided to recommend England to the IRB council.

We are truly excited about the opportunity to host the third largest sporting tournament in the world and fervently hope that the recommendation is accepted in July."

The RWCL board also indicated a strong preference for future World Cups to be staged in just one country "unless compelling reasons can be presented".