South Africa Banned from hosting International Sporting Events by Minister

[saulan]

Whereas we only have 200,000+ South Africans.



Personally, I favour Italy as hosts for 2023; as I think it would both turn a notable profit AND grow the game away from rugby's heartland.

Yea I was at the SA semi last year and it was quite weird. There were saffas everywhere and it seemed most English supporters were supporting the All Blacks, but the support was still significantly louder for the boks.

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[Leonormous Boozer]

I don't agree with this. If we go by that line of thinking the next World Cup wouldn't be in Japan because they wouldn't have proved anything by the time the tournament location was decided (only beat Wales and SA later). If we go by that thinking it would just be rotated around the tier 1 teams and we take away that chance to show off the tournament in a lower tier nation which may spark something in terms of support and player base going forward. That's also my personal reason for wanting it in Italy, I think they can both host great tournaments, but if the options were Italy and Ireland, I would want Italy to have a go to hopefully spark something in their country and maybe some of its neighbours.

The Japanese Top League had an average attendance of around 5,000. An Italian pro 12 game has reached that once this year and that's my issue, their attendance for their own clubs are tragic so you wouldn't get the passionate fans we saw in the last World Cup like you'd get in SA, Ireland and Japan.

 

[Jaguares]

It's all about the prices you can charge especially for minnows games. A game at Kingsholm was likely to sell out regardless of who played but places like Hove were a genuine surprise within the UK. In Italy your far less likely to generate that kind of support even in rugby areas of the country so you can't charge as much for the games therefore you have to pay stadia less for their use. If the games aren't financially viable for the Football clubs they won't bid for their games to be played there. That means overall it will make significantly less money.

As for travelling fans will likely only travel to see their teams play and against the good sides. I don't know if people will travel to watch England get one over on Uruguay.

I disagree. Look at the WC in Australia, they had people in all the games, even in not traditional rugby communities like Melbourne, Perth or Adelaide

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Got mixed feelings. My gut feeling tells me Italy's case is compelling if they manage to get out of their group, which is a big if. I don't see it.
Ireland has the infrastructure and it's convenient logistics wise. Not sure how much it'll do to help grow the sport thou.

Then again, i've got a place to crash at in Ireland so that settles it for me. Can you imagine another quarter final Arg vs Ire at thomond park, or even better, croke park? I'm drooling already.

 

[ncurd]

I disagree. Look at the WC in Australia, they had people in all the games, even in not traditional rugby communities like Melbourne, Perth or Adelaide

Australia still has a far stronger vision of Rugby Union than Italy does. It's a sport played to an extremely high standard the same simply isn't true of Italy.

Australia is far more like England at the last world cup than Italy which in which rugby minority sport as a whole.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

I am not against Italy being hosts of 2023, I just have my reservations whether they will recover the hosting fee £100 million plus they will have to pay to World Rugby, (England paid £80 million to World Rugby to host RWC2015) recoup the cost of hosting the tournament and also on top of that make a profit.

But agree eventually it will have to go to more non-English speaking countries if the game is to expand outside of being considered a sport mainly played by the original 5 nations and the 3 Southern Hemisphere Giants.

 

[Jaguares]

Australia still has a far stronger vision of Rugby Union than Italy does. It's a sport played to an extremely high standard the same simply isn't true of Italy.

Australia is far more like England at the last world cup than Italy which in which rugby minority sport as a whole.

And what about the recent attendances in Rome?

 

[ncurd]

And what about the recent attendances in Rome?

Fill's a game against a top nation and can't even fill it against Scotland probably their most competitive match. Man those crowds at Tonga V Nambia are going to be brilliant.

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Note that's a game we couldn't fill in rugby heartland at a stadium that regularly gets full attendance.

If we can't do it I doubt Italy will manage.

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Again this isn't a statement Italy should never get the world cup just it has to be financially viable at least once every 8 years. If they were to consider it in 2027 after going to a top-tier nation I have no complaints.

 

[Jaguares]

That's a negative view about it. A positive view could be: 70k vs England and 67k vs Scotland, is larger than the big markets of New Zealand (Auckland = 50k and Wellington = 35k) and one of the most important places in Australia (Brisbane = 52k).

You can add La Plata in Argentina (40k and only sell out vs ABs)

 

[ncurd]

That's a negative view about it. A positive view could be: 70k vs England and 67k vs Scotland, is larger than the big markets of New Zealand (Auckland = 50k and Wellington = 35k) and one of the most important places in Australia (Brisbane = 52k).

You can add La Plata in Argentina (40k and only sell out vs ABs)

You can't magically make stadiums bigger.

 

[Jaguares]

You can't magically make stadiums bigger.

You can't magically grow your population

 

[ncurd]

Plus Rome's population is twice that of New Zealand

I bet you tickets at Eden Park cost way more than Scotland V Italy as well.

Plus New Zealand is way more spread out with a quarter of population density of that of Italy. Plus Italy has 14x as many people.

So the fact Eden Park fills without any issue despite ebing half the size is actually a very fine testamanet to who well it's supported in NZ as opposed to Italy.

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You can't magically grow your population

Point? as ntoed above Italy can't fill a stadium less than 50% bigger with 100% more in the city and 1400% more people in their total nation.

That's pretty poor odds on getting decent attendances throughout the entire tournament.

 

[Jaguares]

I never said that rugby is more popular in Italy than in NZ. I'm just saying that Italy has a growing rugby community and we must support them if we want a real expansion of our sport

 

[ncurd]

I never said that rugby is more popular in Italy than in NZ. I'm just saying that Italy has a growing rugby community and we must support them if we want a real expansion of our sport

By giving them rugby tournament they can't afford or support whilst potentially damaging the brand worldwide.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Shame USA didn't decide to place a bid for 2023

 

[FNS]

Italy is a good place. Has the stadiums, its close to a big rugby community, allows that other small rugby country attendants(rumania, spain,etc) to go, it´s less expensive than UK for sure.

Merit in the field means nothing, you have to take in account a lot more.

 

[BakkiesBokke]

I think that Jurie Roux should announce the withdrawal of South Africa's bid. I don't think we have enough money to host these big tournaments, and this particular bid has already been scuppered by the Minster of Sport. Passion will keep the game alive in SA and we will also continue to get new communities playing the game. Political interference is never a good thing.

In other news, Nepal has been banned from playing cricket by the ICC because their government has interfered with the team.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Scotland rugby licking its lips

www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby-union/...ould-be-the-next-true-scottish-hero-1-4108641

Have lined up Huw Jones and Kebble

 

[Thingimubob]

Scotland rugby licking its lips

www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby-union/scotland/stormers-star-huw-jones-could-be-the-next-true-scottish-hero-1-4108641

Have lined up Huw Jones and Kebble

Oh come on! Can't let a man called Huw Jones play for anyone else but Wales :lol:

 

[saulan]

Oh come on! Can't let a man called Huw Jones play for anyone else but Wales :lol:

Huw was born in Scotland and raised in England. I always thought he had English aspirations.