South Africa bids to host 2015 or 2019 World Cup
By AP, 8 May 2009 AP is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- 2015 RWC, 2019 RWC, Rugby Union, South Africa rugby union
South Africa is bidding to host either the 2015 or 2019 Rugby World Cup. South Africa Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins said in a statement that the bid was delivered to IRB officials in Dublin on Thursday.
“South Africa in this day and age is set up to host the very biggest global sporting events and we believe we would offer rugby an unrivalled showcase for the game,” Hoskins said, adding that the South African government fully supported the bid.
South Africa has spent millions building and improving stadiums and transportation and other infrastructure to prepare to be the first African country to host the football World Cup, in 2010. Next month, South Africa hosts football’s Confederations Cup.
England and Japan are reportedly also bidding to host either World Cup. The International Rugby Board will announce the hosts on July 28.
South Africa hosted and won the Rugby World Cup in 1995, a year after apartheid ended. The country’s first black president, Nelson Mandela, famously attended the final in a Springboks jersey, until then associated in the minds of many blacks with racism.
The 1995 tournament offered South Africa’s new, multiracial democracy a chance to celebrate as one nation.
Bryan Habana, who played for the Springboks in the 2007 World Cup-winning team, is hoping South Africa is successful and can relive the excitement from 1995.
“The Rugby World Cup is special to me and to all South Africans – and not just because I played in a winning team,” Habana said. “The 1995 Rugby World Cup was a magical time in South Africa’s national life and I believe that if it were to return here, we’d provide the stage to create even more special memories – both for South Africa and world rugby.”
South Africa is currently hosting cricket’s Indian Premier League and will host the sport’s Champions Trophy later this year, with both tournaments having to be shifted for security reasons.
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Ben J said | May 8th 2009 @ 3:54pm | Report comment
Yes, please send money, I need a wheelbarrow full to buy tickets for Super 14 games, Tri Nations, British & Irish Lions, IPL Cricket, Confederations Cup, Currie Cup & FIFA World Cup.
Hemjay said | May 9th 2009 @ 4:33pm | Report comment
While South Africa is spending all the 100′s of millions on sporting events the Aids epdimic is still spiralling out of control. Millions of South African still live in shanty towns and mud huts and poverty is rife. The residents who can afford to live in a house still have barbed wire around the top of their 6ft high fences. Tourists like me are told not to stop at traffic lights at night and basically don’t go anywhere after dark unless you really have to or are just plain mad.
South Africans with half a brain are leaving for Australia and NZ in their thousands why would you want to stay in a country where you don’t feel safe. I think one African nation has seriously got their priorities wrong. In the pursuit of sporting glory their nation is and will suffer.
The $NZ while only worth 0.39 stirling the ZAR is only worth 20 NZ cents I think SA may want to get their house in order before trying to be the Super Power of World Sport Hosting,
ballboy said | May 9th 2009 @ 11:51pm | Report comment
There is a very old saying Hemjay – don’t mix sport with politics. However, having an international event such as the world cup will do more for the plight of the millions of sufferers of aids and the oppressed than we could all hope for by shifting the event to a safe haven and surviving on the notion of out of sight, out of mind. Let the eyes of the rugby world fall down on South Africa and lean on them to clean up thier own back yard.
Mac said | May 10th 2009 @ 10:58am | Report comment
Ballboy,
That is total ignornce to have that kind of attitude. You know just as well as anyone that SA can have all the sports events in the world and they will not clean up their act. The World cups and other sporting events just take the focus away for a few weeks and once its over the country has changed little. have you ever been to SA I have and its a very backward country where many things are overlooked.
And sadly the SARU mixess sport and politics together everydasy hence the quota system. Only a fool thinks that world sport is exempt from everyday life
Mac said | May 10th 2009 @ 11:10am | Report comment
I am South African yet I will admit I left SA with my family when I was only 7yrs old I am now 26 and travel back to SA every few years to see my papa and if you ask me the country has gone backwards. My homeland hosted the 95 world cup and all that did was mask the problems the nation is facing for a few months. When all the tourists leave and the television crews go SA is still suffering from all the problems that have been pointed out.
Politics is deeply rooted in South African Sport and this is largely shown in the race quota system every team has in the South African super teams. I too believe as does most of my family who have left South Africa because of the crime and general backwards direction it seems to be going should start to focus more on the people not so much the sport.
Hemjay said | May 10th 2009 @ 11:15am | Report comment
Hey Ballboy your back haven’t seen you around for a while.
I’m not so sure mate they have ahell of a lot of issues up there and I don’t think hosting the events will prompt them to clean up their act.
I hope your lads upset the Chiefs this weekend bloody buggers beat my boys on saturday I do have a conspiracy theory though lol, that bloody Lawernce is from Tauranga one of the Chiefs partner union how dodgy lol. No really the Canes were outplayed in a tight game I think the Canes need to learn how to catch the ball and not throw passes under pressure when theres nothing on