RWC 2023: Ireland

[neiliog93]

Here's to a poorly attended world cup in a country rife with social and economic problems, and crime, and where a large percentage of people don't care about rugby.

[Flash Gordon]

To be fair South Africa hosted the soccer world cup only 7 years ago, so they have the stadia sitting there ready to. The crime rate in South Africa is the elephant in the room.

And the crime rate in the bidding process! It's an established fact that millions of dollars of bribes were paid to secure the soccer world cup. The place is corrupt to the core.

[neiliog93]

Honestly, it really does appear to me that we lost out because France and South Africa offered €150 million and €160 million respectively. We could have offered more but the whinger brigade would have been out in force, as if an extra €30-40 million would make any difference in the grand scheme of a country with a €60 billion total annual spend. As if homelessness and temporary contracts and bidding for a rugby world cup have any connection!

[neill_m]

To be fair South Africa hosted the soccer world cup only 7 years ago, so they have the stadia sitting there ready to. The crime rate in South Africa is the elephant in the room.

And the crime rate in the bidding process! It's an established fact that millions of dollars of bribes were paid to secure the soccer world cup. The place is corrupt to the core.

Not even going there re FIFA World Cups and their bidding process......

[Lar]

As soon as there was going to be an independent report with the criteria listed it was always going to be doubtful that any 'small' nation would ever win based on these critieria. New Zealand would have struggled to my mind on the criteria outlined. It might have been known to those closer to the process but some criteria (most notably Financial and Commercial) were given huge weight relative to others. This new process was designed to be more transparent for World Rugby (unlike FIFA and the IOC) but I reckon it will be shelved or at the very least seriously modified, as it appears to me it will result in the RWC being shared around in England, France (possibly Italy), South Africa, Australia (and possibly Japan) in perpetuity. The criteria of growing the game globally needs to be given more weight if we are ever to have any hope.

On an unrelated point what might this mean for the timing of the re-development of the RDS?

[harblstuff]

On an unrelated point what might this mean for the timing of the re-development of the RDS?

Under the list of stadiums proposed by Ireland, only one or two were listed as having an upgrade before 2023 - Casement and Nowlan. The RDS was listed as 'completed' in 2008 and a listed capacity of 18,600.

Read into that what you will.

[the spoofer]

Paddy Power odds now:

SA 1/9

Ireland 7/1

[simonokeeffe]

Having a RWC where half the interested fans could pop over for one game, a weekend etc would have been a big boost

Only thing SA has over us is weather

[Flash Gordon]

Having a RWC where half the interested fans could pop over for one game, a weekend etc would have been a big boost

Only thing SA has over us is weather

Weather likely to be better in Dublin than in Capetown during the world cup! Obviously considerably less likely to get shot on Greystones beach than on Noordhoek Beach too!

[cormac]

Having a RWC where half the interested fans could pop over for one game, a weekend etc would have been a big boost

Only thing SA has over us is weather

Weather likely to be better in Dublin than in Capetown during the world cup! Obviously considerably less likely to get shot on Greystones beach than on Noordhoek Beach too!

Incredibly Ireland and South Africa ranked the same for security. Where we seem to have fallen down the most is on stadia and infrastructure.

[RoboProp]

Having a RWC where half the interested fans could pop over for one game, a weekend etc would have been a big boost

Only thing SA has over us is weather

Weather likely to be better in Dublin than in Capetown during the world cup! Obviously considerably less likely to get shot on Greystones beach than on Noordhoek Beach too!

Incredibly Ireland and South Africa ranked the same for security. Where we seem to have fallen down the most is on stadia and infrastructure.

Ranked the same for security? Someone is extracting the urine

[El Diablo]

Here's to a poorly attended world cup in a country rife with social and economic problems, and crime, and where a large percentage of people don't care about rugby.

Here's to 5 hour plane journeys between venues instead of 3/4 hour car journeys.

[Icarus]

Here's to a poorly attended world cup in a country rife with social and economic problems, and crime, and where a large percentage of people don't care about rugby.

That's enough about Ireland!

[Made Of Ale]

Incredibly Ireland and South Africa ranked the same for security. Where we seem to have fallen down the most is on stadia and infrastructure.

Ranked the same for security? Someone is extracting the urine

In fairness, some of the matches were due to be played in Limerick.

[ronk]

Interpretation of the criteria were wide enough. Upgrading the communications systems at the stadia were seen as important. The report also made a big deal about the population of Killarney (which is mostly hotels).

We did well in a few areas but the smaller stadia and smaller fee did us in. The report was almost scathing in the way it listed our lack of internal flying options as part of the bid. There isn’t much hope in the face of that logic.

[neiliog93]

Here's to a poorly attended world cup in a country rife with social and economic problems, and crime, and where a large percentage of people don't care about rugby.

That's enough about Ireland!

Sorry, but the average North Dub or rural Irelander has much, much more awareness of and appreciation for rugby since the the 2000s success of the national team and Munster and Leinster. Not as generally popular as soccer in Dublin or as popular as GAA in rural counties, but much deeper in the national consciousness than it was before. Contrast that with RSA where most of the black population (who are the vast majority of the population) either actively resent rugby or are totally disinterested in it. Of the black population who actually like rugby, a surprising percentage of them actually support the ABs against the Boks.

Then you add in RSA's size, geographical remoteness to other major rugby powers, political corruption and the fact that most of the cities are no-go zones after dark, and you have a really, really poor decision that certainly seems to have been motivated largely by the fact that they offered the most dosh to World Rugby.

[domhnallj]

Here's to a poorly attended world cup in a country rife with social and economic problems, and crime, and where a large percentage of people don't care about rugby.

That's enough about Ireland!

Sorry, but the average North Dub or rural Irelander has much, much more awareness of and appreciation for rugby since the the 2000s success of the national team and Munster and Leinster. Not as generally popular as soccer in Dublin or as popular as GAA in rural counties, but much deeper in the national consciousness than it was before. Contrast that with RSA where most of the black population (who are the vast majority of the population) either actively resent rugby or are totally disinterested in it. Of the black population who actually like rugby, a surprising percentage of them actually support the ABs against the Boks.

Then you add in RSA's size, geographical remoteness to other major rugby powers, political corruption and the fact that most of the cities are no-go zones after dark, and you have a really, really poor decision that certainly seems to have been motivated largely by the fact that they offered the most dosh to World Rugby.

No-go to you and the rest of the oily unwashed at night/during the day. I imagine the blazers will have access all areas when the descend on the place.

[simonokeeffe]

Lack of internal flights is a window licking thing to apply to Ireland, connectivity with Europe is much more relevant

Was politics involved but as Rooster said before Casement is a clusterfudge and dragged us down. Would have thought improving the telecoms stuff at grounds would have been easy enough to do

[blockhead]

While I think it would be great to have a World cup on this island, I'm not going to lose too much sleep over this. A big build up, probably a great tournament, lots of overseas visitors and a feel good factor at a job well done.
What then? when its all over.
The GAA have their shiney upgraded stadiums and facilities. And the whole Country would have to continually thank them for allowing us the use of them for the event.
What would Irish rugby's legacy be?
At a bare minimum, Connacht should have a suitable stadium as a legacy of World Cup 2023, but that wasn't in the plan.

[ronk]

Lack of internal flights is a window licking thing to apply to Ireland, connectivity with Europe is much more relevant

Was politics involved but as Rooster said before Casement is a clusterfudge and dragged us down. Would have thought improving the telecoms stuff at grounds would have been easy enough to do

They also cited that Fiji and Samoa would have to travel over 24 hours (for any domestically based players) as a reason why SA was better located. Stinks.

If they’d been fair on things like that but we’d still lost because of the higher fee it would be one thing.

Ah well, Lions tour in 4 years RWC in 6. I’m sure fans will want to go again so soon...