South Africa hits back as crucial Rugby World Cup vote looms
THE South African sports minister has robustly defended the country’s 2023 Rugby World Cup bid as he played down concerns over security and ticket sales.
Thulas Nxesi issued a strong statement yesterday after members of the Irish and French bid teams criticised the evaluation by the Rugby World Cup Board that named South Africa the preferred candidate.
The 1995 hosts emerged as the clear winner, but the results were disputed by French federation president Bernard Laporte, who called them “nonsense”, and by the head of the IRFU Philip Browne.
Earlier this week, Sports Minister Shane Ross also claimed there would be empty stadiums if South Africa is successful in Wednesday’s vote in London.
However, Mr Nxesi hit back at these criticisms as he claimed the country’s successful bid to host the soccer World Cup in 2010 was also subject of criticism.
“It would be understandable if those sentiments were largely informed by disappointment,” he said.
“It is our firm conviction that World Rugby has run a rigorous and professional process of unimpeachable integrity.
“Even during the 2010 Fifa World Cup bidding process, our competitors and their fellow detractors had mounted a concerted smear campaign to besmirch and malign South Africa’s bid,” Mr Nxesi added.
He also said that concerns raised then proved ill-founded. “They alleged that our country was grossly ill-prepared to host such a big event. They further declared our country to be the crime capital of the world.
“They prophesised impending doom and gloom that would befall the tournament, and to tourists and fans coming to our shores.
“We have a long history of major, incident-free mega events.”