The Rugby World Cup 2015 began with a bang a fortnight ago, with one of the great shocks of the tournament already occurring as Japan secured an injury time win over South Africa. However, what many fans are unaware of is that Ireland is bidding to secure the rights to host the 2023 edition of the world cup.
The bid already has the support of the governments in both the Republic and in Northern Ireland and could provide our economy with a substantial boost. The IRFU has confirmed that they are taking inspiration from the 2011 tournament hosted by New Zealand and a look at the impact it had on the country shows us how beneficial it could be for our economy.
Major sporting events like the Rugby World Cup create jobs and boost tourism. The 2011 tournament was estimated to create 10,000 – 15,000 jobs directly & indirectly. While there was an initial loss of €19 million made from hosting the tournament it has since been estimated that the World Cup was worth €1.1 billion to the New Zealand.
This shows that the world cup could be a success within Ireland; we have the stadia, we have the hotels, and we all know that supplying beer to rugby fans will not be an issue for any Irish publican. If we were to be selected as the host nation for the 2023 World Cup tourism numbers would spike during September and October, two months that are usually slow for the hospitality sector here.
If it were to provide only a portion of the benefit that other countries have gained in the past, would it not be worth it to have a chance of seeing the Irish team lift the Webb Ellis cup in Croke Park or the Aviva Stadium?
Bill Horan
