south africa eyes 2023 rugby world cup
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

As bitter hosting battle ends

South Africa eyes 2023 Rugby World Cup

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today South Africa eyes 2023 Rugby World Cup

France, second, and Ireland, third, came out swinging in response to the report
London - Arab Today

The fog of war that has afflicted the race to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup will lift on Wednesday and is expected to reveal South Africa as outright victor to stage the quadrennial showpiece.

Two weeks ago the Rugby World Cup board released a report placing South Africa first across a range of criteria on which the candidates were assessed, ranging from stadiums to financial assurances

France, second, and Ireland, third, came out swinging in response to the report and have been as combative as their players on the pitch, slamming the findings that placed South Africa in the driving seat.

Had they been on the field of play -- where rugby players distinguish themselves from footballers for their polite acceptance of the referee's decision -- the Irish and French would have earned at least a sin-binning.

World Rugby replied with clarifications but it is now up to the 39 votes on its Council to decide whether they accept the unanimous decision of the Rugby World Cup board to award South Africa the hosting rights for the second time.

South Africa hosted the iconic 1995 edition -- which saw the first black president of the country, Nelson Mandela, adorned in a Springbok jersey, then seen as one of the pillars of white apartheid rule -- handing the trophy to white South Africa captain Francois Pienaar.

South Africa vice-president Cyril Ramaphosa, one of the architects of the relatively peaceful transition from apartheid, said a 2023 World Cup in the country would serve as affirmation of much of what the late Mandela stood for.

"In 1995 it was an almost-white team," said Ramaphosa when he added his sizeable political weight to the final presentation in September.

"In 2023 it will be a diverse rugby team and prove to the world what Nelson Mandela said, that rugby is a great unifier.

"It will be played out in reality that a country coming from a sad past, we will have achieved Nelson Mandela's dream of a true rainbow nation."

- 'It's crazy' -

The Irish too have invested a huge amount of political capital into the bid with Prime Minister Leo Varadkar leading the bid presentation and securing the support of his British counterpart Theresa May -- plus the cross border support of all the Northern Irish parties.

The Irish, probably for the first time in bid history, cited Albert Einstein in their letter seeking clarification about the disappointing assessment of their bid.

Philip Browne, the dynamic CEO of the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), admitted in an interview with AFP last Friday that not even the great man could help reconcile World Rugby's vision of the tournament with Ireland's views.

"In our letter (seeking clarification), we had a great saying by Albert Einstein and here I paraphrase him: 'There are a lot of things that can be counted which don't actually count and there are lots of things that count that can't be counted'," he said.

"In some respect that comes down to our vision and what we are offering.

"A World Cup in Ireland would be a particular World Cup, something which fans round the world would have enjoyed.

"But apparently that wasn't part of the overall vision World Rugby had for it."

The French would deliver the most money for the sport but their bid has been bedevilled by internal political problems surrounding federation president Bernard Laporte and also their decision to fly over the young sons of the late All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu for the final presentation that backfired spectacularly.

The irrepressible Laporte -- who guided France to two successive World Cup semi-finals and subsequently served as a minister under President Nicolas Sarkozy -- has not minced his words in his response to the assessment on a whole range of topics from security to doping to hotels.

"We are not rated as well over doping because they tell us that we are too strict! On security, we have the same number of points even though there are 52 murders a day in South Africa," Laporte told AFP earlier this month.

"It's crazy."

Source:AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

south africa eyes 2023 rugby world cup south africa eyes 2023 rugby world cup

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

south africa eyes 2023 rugby world cup south africa eyes 2023 rugby world cup

 



GMT 12:48 2016 Sunday ,27 November

Cilic, Dodig push Croatia to brink of Davis Cup

GMT 05:24 2017 Thursday ,28 December

Erdogan says 'terrorist' Assad cannot be part of Syria

GMT 12:59 2016 Saturday ,05 November

WB welcomes economic reforms in Egypt

GMT 18:40 2016 Saturday ,05 November

Egyptian GDRs in London down

GMT 10:57 2017 Wednesday ,06 December

Peru striker Guerrero has doping ban extended

GMT 17:51 2017 Tuesday ,07 March

Trump Signs New Travel Ban on Six Muslim Countries

GMT 10:30 2017 Wednesday ,06 September

Saudi Information Ministry praises media role during Hajj

GMT 15:29 2017 Tuesday ,24 January

Mind games really do help your brain

GMT 06:55 2015 Thursday ,01 October

Boston Red Sox beat Yankees

GMT 08:17 2017 Monday ,28 August

Bahrain celebrates World Humanitarian Day 2017

GMT 02:07 2017 Tuesday ,28 February

Opposition seeks Russian support at Syria talks

GMT 11:06 2017 Wednesday ,27 December

Bahrain tourism projects valued at over $ 13 billion

GMT 20:35 2011 Tuesday ,10 May

New exhibition of Islamic ornaments

GMT 19:52 2016 Friday ,19 August

Nice joins wave of French towns banning burkinis

GMT 03:46 2017 Wednesday ,06 September

US-backed Syrian forces seize Raqqa mosque

GMT 22:22 2017 Friday ,15 December

BDF Military Museum open on National Day

GMT 09:47 2015 Wednesday ,02 December

Ryanair launches court action against Google, eDreams

GMT 10:46 2017 Wednesday ,22 March

Japan's February trade surplus hits multi-year high
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday