We can’t blame Mark Keohane for back his own country’s bid so passionately but was there any need to bring Bono into this?!
The tub-thumping and sop-box declarations are ramping up ahead of World Rugby’s big decision on the 2023 World Cup, later this year.
Ireland and France are the northern hemisphere countries with bids in and, after a ban on bidding for internationals tournaments was lifted by their own country, South Africa are holding the candle for the southern hemisphere.
Ireland were the earliest of the three nations to get behind their bid in a big way, all the way back in December 2014. More recently, there has been a fantastic promo featuring the likes of Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell and Dublin footballer Bernard Brogan. There have also been glowing praise from across the Irish Sea.
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South Africa believe it is surely their turn to host the tournament having last got the job in 1995.
Over in Sport 24, rugby writer Mark Keohane has talked up his own country’s strengths and decided to pick some flaws in the Irish and French bids. He declares:
‘Ireland is an emotional tug at the heartstrings, but their stadia (all round) lack the quality of South Africa and France. Ditto their commercial appeal. Surely there has to be more to a bid than Guinness, those wonderfully seductive Irish accents and of course U2’s Bono?
‘South Africa is a rugby country,’ Keohane continues, ‘in a way Ireland and France just have never been and this country for six weeks would be transformed into a rugby cathedral. You go to Paris for everything but rugby and you go to Dublin for more than rugby. In South Africa, you come for the rugby.’
‘More to a bid than Guinness’?!
How do ye like those apples, eh?
As for the French, they are gradually coming around to the fact that they might like another World Cup hosted in their country’s state-of-the-art grounds.
They’ve planted ‘2023’ logos on their jerseys and even got Mike Tyson to back their bid.
French World Cup bid gets backing from last person you'd expect https://t.co/K1qXaSDcqB
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 6, 2017
Iron Mike. Derisory editorials.
The gloves are most definitely off.
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