The bids are for both the 2015 and 2019 tournaments after the IRB asked for applications for the events last year.

With the bid book set to be finalised by the end of this week, the only formality that remains to be added is a signed letter from the government supporting the bid process both logistically and financially.

The completed document has to be lodged with the IRB by May 8 and then a four-man delegation under bid chairman Mark Alexander will go to Dublin for formal presentations on May 13. The announcement of the host countries will be made on July 28.

“We are using the investment that has been made for the 2010 Soccer World Cup in our bid process,” Alexander told The Times. “For these stadiums to be viable in the long run, South Africa has to host major international sporting events.

“Fortunately, no major investment needs to be made from a rugby point of view. The stadiums are there and they are now all HD television-compliant."

In 2007, South Africa lost the race to host the 2011 World Cup, which is to take place in New Zealand. In this race, they face competition from England, Japan, Italy, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

The IRB has also hinted that one of the two tournaments — probably 2019 — will be awarded to a developing nation, which is likely to be Japan. The 2015 tournament will have to be a high earner after projected low earnings from 2011.

The IRB has also asked for hefty financial guarantees from bidding countries, and this has led to criticism, most notably from the Australian Rugby Union chief executive, John O’Neil.

Australia withdrew from the bidding process for the 2015 tournament because of the massive £80-million (R1.03-billion) guarantee and is still considering a bid for 2019, which requires an even larger guarantee, of £96-million.

“We’re not out of the running for 2019, but there is a huge tournament guarantee required,” O’Neil said last week.

“Given that the decision is going to be made in July this year, it requires someone brave enough to give me a prediction on the exchange rates and all the risk factors 10 years in advance.

“I’m not sure the IRB appreciates that the world economic recession makes it even harder to get your head around a big guarantee. In the event that we are not in the race, Japan will have our support.”

England, one of the favourites to host the 2015 tournament, have also questioned the financial guarantee requests while Italy, South Africa and Japan appear to have full government backing, despite the IRB’s hefty demands.

 

Source: News24.com - www.news24.com

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