Spring’s shock at RWC review board findings
IN a strongly worded letter Dick Spring – the Chairman of Ireland’s bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup – has expressed shock at the findings of the World Rugby technical review group that analysed Ireland, France and South Africa’s bids to host the tournament.
Last week the review Group issued its report with the recommendation that South Africa be named as hosts. Ireland – to widespread surprise – came third of the three bidders.
Former Tánaiste and Labour Party leader Dick Spring – who played rugby for Ireland – has penned a letter urging voters on the World Rugby Council, who will ultimately decide the venue, to look beyond the review group’s recommendation and name Ireland as RWC 2023 hosts.
In his letter the Tralee native – who represented North Kerry in the Dáil for 21 years – also outlined the Irish RWC bid board’s unhappiness with the technical review group’s findings.
Mr Spring expressed the Irish bid’s “shock” at the “narrow, operational and theoretical” approach taken by the review group.
He also warned that the “skewed basis” of the scoring system, which rewarded Ireland’s rivals’ prior history of hosting major events, “will preclude the majority of potential new bidders from ever having the opportunity to host Rugby World Cup, therefore thwarting the growth of the game and rugby’s flagship event.”
The letter from Mr Spring also raised concerns about the way in which the security section of the report was evaluated.
“We are amazed at the analysis of security issues as contained in the Evaluation Report, given that it gives a similar security scoring to all three candidates. For context, The Global Peace Index, recognised as the world’s most trustworthy measurement, places Ireland at 10th, France at 51st and South Africa at 123rd.” Mr Spring wrote.
With the World Rugby Council due to decide the 2023 hosts next week Mr Spring urged the voters to back Ireland’s bid.
“Rather than rely solely on the findings of this consultant-dominated report we ask, in a spirit reflecting all that is great about rugby, that you consider our bid in full and then exert your right to vote in the best interests of rugby and the Rugby World Cup,” wrote Mr Spring.
“Let me leave you with the words of Albert Einstein as you review the report and ponder probably the most important decision you will face for World Rugby this decade:
“’Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted’.”
Members of the World Rugby Council will decide the 2023 hosts in London on November 15. Ireland’s mission now is to convince delegates to ignore the non-binding recommendation of the review group.