Cracking Rugby World Cup

Webb in front of their delirious fans.

Let’s get one thing straight: South Africa and Ireland, the beaten bidding cities, would have made fabulous hosts.

But of course money talks. Politics too. France, doing a good job of rebounding as a nation from a series of horror terror attacks, played both cards to the hilt. Anyone who thinks this was a rugby decision is doing a passable imitation of an ostrich. Overtones of Fifa abounded through this process.

Here are the cold hard facts. France will host the most profitable tournament in RWC history – that’s a given, with some of the figures being talked about mind-boggling. Given global rugby is effectively funded for four years on the back of this one tournament, that factor cannot be downplayed.

World Rugby’s bank accounts will benefit hugely but, of course, so will every nation that takes part and, most importantly, the tier-two countries who rely so heavily on their RWC windfall will receive manna from heaven.

Do you think that wasn’t pointed out by France? Who voted for them in the first round? Aside from Scotland and Italy, it was Japan, Asia, South America, Europe, Africa (yes, they didn’t support their own continent), Georgia and Romania.

You think the minnows don’t know where their bread is buttered?

Yes, South Africa needed this event more, given all the country’s issues, but there had to be questions around security and transport.

And Ireland would have hosted the best RWC party ever but where would they have played all the matches, and housed all the people?

But, in a democratic system, France played the political game best, delivered the most compelling financial reasons and demonstrated this month that it remains a rugby hot spot.