This morning.
Central London.
Ireland’s Rugby World Cup bid team, including from left: Dick Spring, Kyran McLaughlin, Phil Orr and Brian O’Driscoll on their way to presenting the island of Ireland’s proposal to host the event in 2023.
Ruck!
Pic via The Embassy of Ireland, London
Update:
Taoiseach leo Varadkar (second left) and sports minister Shane Ross (third left join the team at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington High Street, west London.
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Really hope we get this and best of luck to the delegation and all that BUT when I heard they were recruiting Bob Geldof to showcase Ireland to support the bid I almost choked. What chance do we have with that miserable git?
He hates Ireland like no-one I ever saw. Why he would wish well for us I can’t fathom.
Would you blame him?
yes I would blame him
Ireland has it’s faults but as places go , it’s pretty decent and safe,.
geldoff hates us so why get him to plug for us …it’s an odd choice
Because he’s one of the most respected Irish people in the world?
No, because he’s an Ireland and Irish hating bully who uses the misery of others to drive his own fame.
…Wasn’t Sir Bob one of the Brexit remain campaigners…that went well…
He went to a rugby school and is a Blackrock old boy
insert some distasteful joke here
……………and on a Monday too!!!
The bid video is really odd.
First claim from Brian O’Driscoll – “We have the ambition and the confidence to host this”. What about the resources?
And then Varadkar – “It’s probably the biggest sporting tournament that we could hope to host as an island”. So it’ll be a stretch as to whether we can actually do it?
Shhhh.
Republic of Opportunishy.
There.
Is it a bid video or a BOD video, that’s your question.
“What about the resources?”
What do you mean? The government are underwriting the whole thing. Which will go down well if we win the bid.
what about the homeless….where does that fit into the narrative?
Just like everyone else, they are more than welcome to buy a ticket for the matches they want to see. Absolutely no discrimination.
lord dick spring looks old.
hope he isn’t unwell.
Those ties.
It’s like Patricks day come early.
Can’t anyone choose a decent green tie?
I think that’s Phil Orr beside Dick Spring there.
I’m in two minds about this. Don’t these tournaments cost a lot of money with no net gain for the host country? I could be wrong about that.
Hotels and pubs will be happy though.
No, I believe there’s a large initial outlay but they more often than not end up paying for themselves. As long as we don’t go full the Greece on it and build a load of stadiums that won’t ever get used again but I don’t really see that happening.
All the stadiums they listed are ready done
‘cept for Casement
But its en-route last time I heard
I think that’s more for Olympics and Soccer World Cup….where more (or new in the case of Olympics) stadia are often required. Rugby World Cup seems much more manageable.
I hope the bid is successful.
The 2015 WC added more than £1 billion to the UK’s GDP so it definitely benefits the economy.
Also, though, brought in more than 400,000 visitors and the average stay was around 10 days. Would we have the accommodation, transport infrastructure etc to cope with that?
‘I’ve a spare room’ says me and half the city. Worked with the Ryder Cup in 2006 at that was before AirBnB.
Also, as was pointed out by Dick Spring, Dublin is unique in that its stadia are all walkable from the city centre. Publicans, distillers and brewers are going to make a savage profit.
True. But basic stuff like getting people from the airport to the city centre… Aircoach?
That will be the main stumbling block I reckon. Our transport is abominable compared to the other bids.
There should be pressers later today outlining all the bids.
Good to know. It’s true I suppose there won’t be any need to build stadiums so that removes that huge cost.
I’m all for it so.