SA Rugby made its case to the World Cup Rugby Council in London on Monday, to host the 10th Rugby World Cup (RWC) Tournament. Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said that hosting the tournament would not only inspire and unite South Africans but the world.
SA is bidding against Ireland and France. Rugby World Cup Ltd will announce its preferred candidate on October 31. That recommendation will be put to a vote of the World Rugby Council on November 15.
Ramaphosa said on Monday: “In many respects, rugby captures the spirit of the new nation we are forging. It helps to unite all our people, men and women, black and white, rural and urban, rich and poor. In 1995, the Rugby World Cup cemented the bonds between our diverse people. In 2023, we hope to use the Rugby World Cup to inspire and unite not only South Africans, but the global community of nations.”
CEO of SA Rugby, Jurie Roux said: “South Africa ticks every single box of the financial, commercial and logistical requirements of the host.”
Roux says that the eight venues that are on offer are already purpose-built for rugby, requiring no upgrading.
The National Stadium in Johannesburg has a capacity to hold 87 436 fans, said Roux, and a South African RWC would make 2.9 million seats available, 400 000 more than the England 2015 tournament.
“We don’t need to build new stadiums or upgrade old ones; we don’t need to find hotel rooms...We don’t need to pass new legislation. Every last detail of the required specification is already in place,” said Thulas Nxesi, Minister of Sport and Recreation.
Roux added that travelling fans would also benefit from the favourable exchange rate.
