England to bid for 2015
July 09 2008
England will bid for the hosting rights to the 2015 Rugby World Cup in conjunction with Wales, after it was announced on Tuesday that the IRB would decide hosting rights for both the 2015 and 2019 tournaments in July next year.
England's hat thus goes into the ring with Australia, South Afica, and Japan, but the chances are it will be either England or Japan who take it as the tournament is set to move north that year after being staged in New Zealand in 2011.
With 2011 set to be less profitable for the IRB than France 2007 was, it may be that England gets 2015 so as to swell the coffers before the IRB risk taking rugby out of the traditional venues to Japan in 2019 however.
The RFU had hoped to be offered the tournament rather than having to go through the same process as in 2002, where they were beaten by France to the 2007 showpiece, but they will now have to go through the same process.