Cup boost for England

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.

Bernard Lapasset.
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England look set to host the 2015 RWC after Rugby World Cup Limited announced they were backing the RFU's bid for the tournament.

The World Cup was last held in England in 1991 - with Will Carling's men going on to reach the final - although Twickenham, Leicester, Bristol and Huddersfield subsequently hosted games in 1999.

However if the IRB Council ratify the recommendations by RWCL then the tournament will return in six years time.

The RFU have held off competition from South Africa, Italy and Japan to receive the endorsement - with IRB set to make a final decision on July 28.

RWCL have also recommended that Japan are awarded the tournament in 2019 - and if agreed, it will be the first time the World Cup has been held by one of the lesser nations.

RWCL chairman Bernard Lapasset said in a statement on the IRB website: "All the tenders were of a very high standard and each union demonstrated that they could host an excellent Rugby World Cup.

"It is a tribute to the health of the game and the enormous prestige of RWC that the field was so strong.

Congratulate

"Both Italy and South Africa submitted comprehensive tenders with very strong government support and would be capable of hosting outstanding Rugby World Cup tournaments now or in the future. I would like to thank and congratulate them both for the quality of their tenders.

"However, there could only be two recommended unions and after detailed review, the RWCL Board decided that England and Japan would provide the best balanced combination of hosts for the continued world-wide development of the game."

RWCL believe that the funding generated from holding the tournament in England would help raise the funds to develop the sport across the world, while providing a superb spectacle.

"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," added Lapasset.

Delighted

"In the heart of the UK's proposed Decade of Sport, RWCL believes that the RFU will deliver a RWC that will capture the imagination, attract strong attendances at superb venues and maximise the festival experience for the millions of attending supporters."

RWCL's decision to back their bid has come as a welcome boost for the RFU - however chairman Martyn Thomas insists they would be waiting anxiously for the IRB's ruling.

Thomas said: "The RFU is delighted that Rugby World Cup Limited has decided to recommend England to the IRB Council as the host for RWC 2015.

"Hosting the tournament would be the next step in the Government's Decade of World Sport and will follow closely on the 2012 Olympics and leads into our bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. We are mindful though that the RWCL recommendation is just the first step and that the final decision rests with the Council on July 28.

"When we presented to the Council in May we said that in the current difficult economic environment we could deliver a 'low risk, high return' tournament that would leave a lasting legacy for the global game.

"We would like to reiterate that commitment and promise that we will pack iconic stadia full of excited fans and that we will give the game the best possible global platform on which to showcase itself to the world.

"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."