Rugby World Cup 2023

[LuigiVercotti]

Any thoughts for 2023 all you fans of rucks, mauls and watching the All Blacks powder before the final of the RWC. To refresh memories, NZ is 2011, England 2015 and Japan 2019...

For my two cents...here's hoping the IRB look carefully at the US

[Rafa]

South Africa

[memorabilia]

USA has no chance for the 2023 edition.

IRB is going into new territories in 2019... and will loose money !!! They will return in Europe in 2023 to have high TV and sponsorship revenues. Italy could be a good candidate as they will have still progress in this decade.

[arwebb]

Italy would probably be the most likely European host, but I would prefer a Scotland-Ireland tournament.

[LuigiVercotti]

Italy would probably be the most likely European host, but I would prefer a Scotland-Ireland tournament.

Italy could be cool, and would provide more potential I'd think for both advancing the game in Europe and winning over a hopefully profitable larger fan base in Italy itself.

Ultimately wherever 2023 goes I hope the IRB understand that you can't keep going back to Australia/NZ/France/England/South Africa. Then again they also have asked some ridiculous amounts of money for hosting rights, so who knows how many nations will be even willing to submit a bid

[arwebb]

Potentially so, and I have to admit that Scotland-Ireland is merely my personal preference. However, having gambled on an emerging host for 2019, I find it hard to see how the IRB would not go back to a safe pair of hands for 2023 and, if they want it, South Africa would have to be frontrunners.

[LuigiVercotti]

Potentially so, and I have to admit that Scotland-Ireland is merely my personal preference. However, having gambled on an emerging host for 2019, I find it hard to see how the IRB would not go back to a safe pair of hands for 2023 and, if they want it, South Africa would have to be frontrunners.

Yes, revenue streams from a safe pair of hands could well be the IRB argument for 2023. Course who's to say so far out that South Africa's 2010 WC plus a potential 2020 Olympic bid might detract from a 2023 bid. Plus any of the European offerings could rely on solid support from a larger fan base contrasted with Southern Africa, Australasia, North America or Asia.

[Faster]

I think discounting the USA because of money is ludicrous. The USA has enough people to make the tournament profitable. The only problem is, as of now, there is no high quality stadium in the rugby hotbed of the USA - the Bay Area.

But I personally feel that if it was to come to North America, Canada has the longer tradition and usually does better than our American neighbours. Plus we support major things when they come to our door. The last flop with Deadmonton's Athletics World Championships, since than a very successful Aquatics World Championship, a FIFA U20, a Women's FIFA U19, UCI World Championships and of course Olympic Winter Games have been hosted and before that Winnipeg had a fantastic Pan American Games. But I'm Canadian and bias. Plus I really do want the RWC to come to Canada in my lifetime. I think its more realistic than a FIFA World Cup.

[LuigiVercotti]

I think discounting the USA because of money is ludicrous. The USA has enough people to make the tournament profitable. The only problem is, as of now, there is no high quality stadium in the rugby hotbed of the USA - the Bay Area.

But I personally feel that if it was to come to North America, Canada has the longer tradition and usually does better than our American neighbours. Plus we support major things when they come to our door. The last flop with Deadmonton's Athletics World Championships, since than a very successful Aquatics World Championship, a FIFA U20, a Women's FIFA U19, UCI World Championships and of course Olympic Winter Games have been hosted and before that Winnipeg had a fantastic Pan American Games. But I'm Canadian and bias. Plus I really do want the RWC to come to Canada in my lifetime. I think its more realistic than a FIFA World Cup.

If the Canadian Rugby authorities can collect the approximate 96 million pounds (based on the 2019 RWC fee structure) then good luck...but considering as of 2007 the CRU had total assets of just over $2m CanadianI think its in the realms of pure fantasy to expect a Canadian RWC on its own for the next say 5-10 RWCs

[Brekkie Boy]

It'll certainly return to one of the traditional nations, though with 2019 in Japan both Southern and Northern hemisphere teams will probably be in the running. Scotland or Ireland leading a home nations bid is a possibility, but I think Italy would be my European choice. Probably too soon for Argentina after the risk of Japan 2019, so South Africa or Australia the Southern candidates.

I guess if like this time they allocate two back to back tournaments we could see Argentina get the 2027 tournament, with Europe getting 2023.

[Sir Rols]

I just think it's gonna be hard for the IRB to pass-up South Africa for 2023, as much as I;d love to see an Italian, Celtic, Argentinian or Nth American Cup.

[Rafa]

and Africa deserves to host. we have best stadia

[Faster]

I think South Africa is in with a serious chance in 2023.

[Brekkie Boy]

South Africa obviously a strong contender, but I see no reason why it would be more deserving than say another Aussie bid or a non-English European bid.

[Faster]

Easy, Australia has hosted twice, as recently as 2003, South Africa has hosted once in 1995.

[memorabilia]

and Africa deserves to host. we have best stadia

But you have to choose.... it's SOG 2020 or RWC 2023... but not both... but could be also none !!!

[arwebb]

Why not both?

[Faster]

Money for one. Some countries just aren't as greedy as the UK.

[Rafa]

Money? How is money an issue?

[LuigiVercotti]

Money? How is money an issue?

Money would be an issue if we are talking about the IRB's fees for hosting rights (see previous posts). I'm not sure but I don't think the 95 RWC had a fee set by the IRB, whereas the next 3 iterations have such a cost. Frankly I can't see the SA board having problems with forking out the requisite dosh for hosting rights. And as the RWC is smaller than the FIFA World Cup without the need to use as many venues then financial issues won't hurt a SA bid.

[Rafa]

South Africa was the only country to exceed the IRB guarantee in terms of the "fee" for both 2015 and 2019. Government stamped.

[Sir Rols]

Probably still not enough to swing a South American WC in 2023, but nevertheless good news for the long term that Argentina's Pumas are now going to be included in a southern Four Nations tournament.

Hola Pumas: IRB says yes to Argentina in Four Nations

Argentina's admission to what will become the Four Nations tournament appears certain after International Rugby Board committees this week approved funding and regulation conditions that will allow all leading Pumas to appear against the Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks from 2012.

SANZAR officials were adamant that they would approve Argentina's inclusion in the southern hemisphere tournament only if the Pumas were able to field their best team. The major stumbling block has been that most of the Pumas are contracted to European clubs, who would have to release them so that they could play in the Four Nations, which will be held from August to October. SANZAR and its broadcasters were concerned that the clubs would not release the players, and that the Argentine team appearing in the tournament would be second rate.

The IRB's regulation No.9, dealing with the availability of players for international duty, has various windows, including those covering the Six Nations and June tours to the southern hemisphere. But there is not one for the August to October period, when Argentinian players would need releases from their northern hemisphere clubs.

Major progress was made this week in Dublin, where meetings of the IRB rugby and the regulations committees recommended that regulation No.9 be amended so that clubs must release their Argentinian players for the Four Nations. This recommendation will go to the IRB council meeting on May 13, and is expected to be passed.

The IRB executive committee has also approved that SANZAR be compensated $US2.5 million ($2.7m) a year for four years, with no conditions attached, for agreeing to Argentina's inclusion in a home-and-away series that will result in the Wallabies playing regularly in Buenos Aires.

The bulk of the IRB funding will go to Australia, which stands to lose the most financially. Australia, New Zealand and South Africa play each other three times in a season, but some of these Tests will have to be dropped to accommodate internationals against Argentina.

ARU officials do not have to be reminded that a Pumas Test does not have the same pull in Australia as a Bledisloe Cup or Mandela Cup fixture, and that numerous areas of revenue, including gate receipts, could be hit dramatically. The compensation will partly cover the anticipated drop in revenue.

The meetings also agreed that the international match schedule involving the northern hemisphere teams travelling to Australia, South Africa and New Zealand be altered from 2011 to 2016 to allow ''mini tours''.

It has been agreed that teams such as England, France and Wales play three Tests in June, with the tourists also playing midweek matches, most probably against Super 14 provinces. This will provide greater interest than the present schedule, in which several national teams travel south and play either one or two Tests before heading home.

The quality of these tours have also been affected by the northern countries sending sub-standard line-ups, but it is envisaged that the mini tours will encourage them to send their best players. They will begin in 2012, with Wales to play three Tests in Australia, as well as midweek games.

Sydney Morning Herald

[Brekkie Boy]

Good to see it going ahead, and it should make the Tri-Nations a better tournament. Makes much more sense to have home and away fixtures rather than the current three tests per clash they have now. I think Argentina have shown too they will be competitive - I doubt they'll win it in the near future, but I think they'll make a bigger impact than Italy did initially in the Six Nations.

Probably wouldn't happen as it has implications for the World Cup, but rather than the current NZ v Aus fixture they're having in Asia before the autumn internationals I'd love to see an annual clash between the Six Nations and Four Nations champions.

[Sir Rols]

Probably wouldn't happen as it has implications for the World Cup, but rather than the current NZ v Aus fixture they're having in Asia before the autumn internationals I'd love to see an annual clash between the Six Nations and Four Nations champions.

What a great idea. Like a Super Bowl of Rugby. An annual one-off, probably alternating between north and south. Maybe a Ten Nations Trophy. Or maybe we could bring in Japan or a combined Pacific Islands team (and that's been really talked about) and having two Six nations tournaments then a 12 Nations Trophy.

I don't think it would detract much from the WC - after all, it really is restricted to the most powerful of the world unions. It could even add some spice to the WC.

[Faster]

I am actually disappointed by this, I had hoped that Argentina, Uruguay, Canada and the USA would form their own competition to help improve rugby here.