Laporte urges Japan to bid again
November 30 2007
Japan might have missed out to New Zealand in 2011, but one of France's top politicians has urged the country to bid for the rights to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Former France coach Bernard Laporte, now France's secretary of state for sport, backed Japan's bid whilst on a three-day visit to Tokyo to organise sporting events to mark next year's 150th anniversary of relations between the two countries.
Laporte said bringing the tournament to Japan was "in the sport's global interest" and would help internationalise the game, making his feelings known in a meeting with former Japanese prime minister Yoshiro Mori, an avid rugby fan and current president of the Japan Rugby Football Union.
"I think it would be good for Japan to organise the World Cup, as this is a rugby nation," said Laporte.
"To organise the World Cup, the priority is to have stadiums, and the infrastructure is here. Rugby also needs this continent."