The race is on for what could be the biggest ever win in Irish sporting history.
World Rugby yesterday announced the formal commencement of the Rugby World Cup 2023 host selection process applicant phase.
The process to identify the host of one of the world’s biggest sporting events kicked off last year and Ireland was very much to the fore with a strong organising committee drawn from different strands of sport and Government on both sides of the border.
Key advisers and supporters including Deloitte and the GAA have also been brought on board and the pace of engagement for them will now accelerate through this second of a three stage process in determining who will host the tournament seven years hence.
France, Ireland, Italy and South Africa have engaged in the process since formally expressing an interest to bid to World Rugby in May last year, though the last of those is currently prohibited from formally participating by its own Government.
Read about the high level advisers behind Ireland’s bid
This application phase, the second stage of the detailed three-phase information gathering and evaluation process, follows an initial period of education and consultation, including detailed briefings and participation in the Rugby World Cup 2015 observer programme designed to maximise knowledge on event hosting and benefits.
This important phase, which provides information exchange on key areas such as rights, benefits of hosting, the evaluation criteria and selection process and high level requirements, has two key objectives.
The first is to provide applicants with the detailed information required to develop their bid, and the second is to provide World Rugby with the information required to be satisfied that all prospective hosts are able to meet the mandatory minimum standards for staging a successful Rugby World Cup 2023.
The process is also an opportunity to establish relationships and understand the economic, tourism and rugby benefits that can be derived from hosting one of the world’s biggest sporting events along with information on the process, and a revised hosting framework which aims to create more unified partnerships, more effective operations and stronger commercial outcomes for World Rugby and the hosting country.
Rugby World Cup 2015 saw broadcast and commercial revenues rise by 40% on what they were in New Zealand in 2011. With Ireland being a similar smaller host country, the benefits of being part of Europe will need to be played up to offset the smaller domestic marketplace.
Read about the full economic impact of Rugby World Cup 2015
Ireland’s close economic, social and cultural ties with the US and the wider diaspora will also be a key part of the bid process.
The four potential final applicants have now been provided with the criteria for evaluation. These are based on World Rugby’s seven priority objectives for RWC 2023 which are:
- Venues and infrastructure commensurate with a top-tier major event
- Comprehensive and enforceable public and private sector guarantees
- A commercially successful event with a fully-funded, robust financial model
- Operational excellence through an integrated and experienced delivery team
- A vision that engages and inspires domestic and international audiences and contributes to the growth of rugby at all levels
- An enabling environment of political and financial stability that respects the diversity of Rugby World Cup’s global stakeholders
- An environment and climate suited to top-level sport in a geography that allows maximum fan mobility
As part of the process, the unions will also supply World Rugby with an overview of key tournament deliverables such as finance, venues and intended governance support.
The applicant submissions are due by 1 September, 2016 and will be evaluated by a World Rugby Technical Review Group. The outcomes of the evaluation will be independently assessed to ensure a fair and consistent approach.
Applicants that meet the criteria outlined will move to the candidate phase on 1 November, 2016.
“Rugby World Cup 2015 was the biggest sporting event of 2015 and the biggest and best Rugby World Cup ever, showcasing our sport and its character-building values to record audiences around the world,” said World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset.
“From competition and attendances to legacy and economic impact, Rugby World Cup 2015 broke records on every level.
“Great events are built on strong partnerships and this process represents a major milestone in the planning and preparation phase for unions and supporting government agencies who intend to bid for Rugby World Cup 2023.”
“We are delighted with the strong level of serious interest from unions and governments in Rugby World Cup 2023 at this early stage, which highlights the enormous hosting appeal of Rugby World Cup as a low-investment, high-return economic, social and sporting driver and we welcome further dialogue as the process progresses,” added Rugby World Cup Tournament Director Alan Gilpin.
“Rugby World Cup must continue to inspire, to reach out and attract new participants and audiences and deliver the financial platform for rugby to continue its record-breaking growth. It must also incentivise and excite host countries and we have undertaken a complete review of the hosting model to strengthen the partnership between host and owner and further the benefits for all as we enter an exciting new era for our sport.”
