Minister for Sport Leo Varadkar is reported to be announcing a formal, solo bid for the event later today.
Ireland has part hosted two Rugby World Cups before (1991 and 1999) but we are now set to bid to host the whole shebang ourselves in 2023.
Today’s Irish Examiner reports that a stand-alone bid for the event will be formally announced by Minister for Sport Leo Varadkar at an IRB conference in Dublin later today.
Varadkar has commissioned a report which estimates the event could bring in €800million to the country as over 330,000 fans would be expected to travel here for the games.
As for stadia, the Examiner reports that the GAA are behind the bid, so the likes of Croker and Casement Park, as well as Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Pearse Stadium and Fitzgerald Park, could be host venues.
Aviva Stadium, Thomond, Ravenhill and the RDS would also be on the list of grounds for the event.
Some of the stadia would need a revamp for an event of this nature and the Government would help fund these upgrades and the Minister is expected to present his case to the Cabinet tomorrow.
The process to bid for RWC 2023 won’t officially begin until 2016, and both Governments will have to approve the bid, but with the northern hemisphere due to host the 2023 tournament, the island of Ireland is aiming to get ahead of the competition.
