Culture
08 Feb 17

2023 is the Magic Number - Ireland vies to host the Rugby World Cup

The on-field action will be intense. But a huge year for Irish rugby will also see the country vying to host the 2023 World Cup. David Lynch reports.

Ireland’s bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup officially kicked off last November with a launch at the Aviva Stadium, which featured a slick audio-visual presentation with narration from Liam Neeson.

The bid has cross-party political support north and south of the border, with both governments coming together to bankroll the hefty £120 million upfront tournament fee.

The Bid Oversight Board is fronted by former Tánaiste and ex-Irish international Dick Spring, and also includes Brian O’Driscoll as bid ambassador. Of the 12 stadiums on the longlist to host games (nine will eventually be chosen should the Irish bid be successful), there are eight GAA grounds in the mix, as well as Thomond Park, Kingspan Stadium, the RDS and, of course, the Aviva.

Naturally, as the third largest global sporting event, the massive economic benefits of the tournment go without saying, with close to half-a-million fans expected to flock to the tournament from around the world. As is to be expected, the Ireland bid leans heavily on our famed reputation for hospitality, as well as the unifying nature of rugby across the Irish political spectrum.

Indeed, at the launch in the Aviva, Martin McGuinness noted that the bid “had the wholehearted and full support of our two governments on this island”, while the DUP’s Simon Hamilton said that it had been his ambition as a schoolboy to play at Lansdowne Road. For his part, Taoiseach Enda Kenny commented, “You know the old saying goes, ‘Preserve the magic of the past, for the present is the history of the future’.” However, he did acknowledge, “This is not going to be easy.”

He’s not wrong on that score. Ireland is competing in the bid – the winners of which will be announced at the end of the year – with rugby superpowers France and South Africa. There was also a potential setback recently when Wales – who had a financial agreement in place with Ireland following their hosting of the 1999 World Cup – announced that historic debts had been honoured.

This led to speculation that Ireland may have lost out on the Welsh vote in the bidding process. Nonetheless, the prize is still there to be won and a successful year on the field would add considerably to the feel-good factor around Irish rugby.