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New Zealand is capable of staging another Rugby World Cup after bringing the curtain down on an “exceptional” tournament, says International Rugby Board chairman Bernard Lapasset.
The host nation edged out a gallant French side 8-7 in the final at Eden Park on Sunday night to cap seven weeks of rugby which featured 48 matches and Lapasset says the country has shown it could do the job again.
“Yes, why not?,” he said, when asked if it was up to playing host in the future.
“It has been one of the best tournaments ever. The Rugby World Cup is not just to make money, it is also for rugby and we have a lot of rugby reasons to come back to New Zealand.
“New Zealand proved they are a great rugby nation and have a great capacity to run a big and successful tournament.
“There is no doubt that Rugby World Cup 2011 will be remembered as one of the great Rugby World Cups – an exceptional tournament.
“It has set the bar for future hosts.”
Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully says the country has developed a real taste for big events and he would love to see the tournament, and the projected 100,000 tourists, come back.
The chairman of the organising group, Rugby NZ 2011, Brian Roche says the successful staging of the tournament proves the country’s ability to host major events.
“We’ve shown the world that this little country down at the end of the world can deliver world-class events.”
New Zealand Rugby Union chairman Mike Eagle was also hopeful of seeing the tournament return to its shores.
“We’ve shown that we can run a tournament and let’s hope for people in years to come that we can see the Rugby World Cup back down here in New Zealand.”
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October 25th 2011 @ 9:48am
Happy Hooker said | October 25th 2011 @ 9:48am | Report comment
Not until they re-capitalise and make up the > $30m loss they made as a result of IRB gouging.
October 25th 2011 @ 12:06pm
Bakkies said | October 25th 2011 @ 12:06pm | Report comment
That was the NZRU’s problem not the so called IRB gouging that has been spouted about in the spite filled rugby press
October 25th 2011 @ 10:38am
kovana said | October 25th 2011 @ 10:38am | Report comment
NO.
As a NZ citizen, i hope it never comes this way again, the event seemed so much smaller in NZ.
Am really looking forward to the 2015 RWC…. Now that will be a spectacular RWC.
October 25th 2011 @ 11:23am
Emric said | October 25th 2011 @ 11:23am | Report comment
Kovana
I think we did a brillient job sure we don’t have the population of the big Euro countries but who knows our population might be 6-7 million by the time we get it again (and we will be able to hold a better spectable) remember only 600,000 went through teh gates in 1987 this time it was well over 1.4 million attended this time adding that additional 1 million to our population since 1987 has helped
October 25th 2011 @ 12:09pm
King of the Gorgonites said | October 25th 2011 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
No!
October 25th 2011 @ 12:09pm
Bakkies said | October 25th 2011 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
No chance unless they build some proper stadiums. Too many venues under 25,000. Only a paltry 1.47 million tickets sold compared to the 1.8 million sold in Australia 2003 and the previous RWC which sold 2.2 million.
October 25th 2011 @ 3:25pm
JamesB said | October 25th 2011 @ 3:25pm | Report comment
Given this has been the best RWC to date, of course it will return, there is absolutely no doubt about that.
The RWC has to be hosted in the home of rugby and the most successful team on the planet.
October 26th 2011 @ 10:17pm
Bakkies said | October 26th 2011 @ 10:17pm | Report comment
Best RWC to date? What planet are you on?
October 26th 2011 @ 10:23pm
Ian Whitchurch said | October 26th 2011 @ 10:23pm | Report comment
Im with Bakkies.
Mandela in a Springboks jumper, one of the moments of the twentieth century.
October 25th 2011 @ 3:32pm
Tui said | October 25th 2011 @ 3:32pm | Report comment
Best World Cup there has ever been. Superb job NZ!
October 25th 2011 @ 4:13pm
Mike said | October 25th 2011 @ 4:13pm | Report comment
I don’t know about best RWC to date, but it was a great effort. No doubt it will return some day.
For the near future, RWC has to be held wherever is going to be best for the game as a whole.
The next two RWCs are going to be held in very different countries – England, where the game originated, the home of Rugby itself. Then off to Japan, arguably the place with greatest potential to grow from a minnow into a world rugby powerhouse. Both very populous nations, both northern hemisphere, but on opposite sides of the world. 2019 will be the first Asian cup – that will have huge significance.
its awesome to live in times when our great game is making such strides in the world.
October 25th 2011 @ 5:11pm
Green Lantern said | October 25th 2011 @ 5:11pm | Report comment
Well Awesome World Cup NZ. After Japan, the next WC should be in South Africa. Populous nation and great stadiums.
October 25th 2011 @ 5:22pm
Rob9 said | October 25th 2011 @ 5:22pm | Report comment
The next time it comes to NZ, Fiji and Samoa should be involved aswell. Of course that’s going to take a significant investment to get facilities in Suva and Apia up to RWC standards but it is very much worth it. It’s no secret these places live and breath Rugby and they deserve this recognition and it would leave a lasting legacy that would provide these places with stadiums that could host future tests against some tier one visitors. Something that should be a goal for the irb.
October 25th 2011 @ 5:51pm
Mike said | October 25th 2011 @ 5:51pm | Report comment
That’s a great idea Rob9, and it is something IRB would have to seriously consider.
October 25th 2011 @ 8:22pm
Rob9 said | October 25th 2011 @ 8:22pm | Report comment
I think so mike. In not a fan of sharing games around the place as France did for Wales and Scotland in exchange for votes but when you’re going into the bidding process with some other nations that are close geographically and the intentions are to spread the rugby love and not to just win votes then im all for it. I think SA will probably get the 23′ rwc and it’d be nice for Namibia to get automatic qualification and get their home games in their borders. At least against the 4th and 3rd seeds in their group.
I heard that when NZ bid for the rights for this cup, part of the spiel was they’d look at having games in the pacific. Obviously for whatever reason the idea never saw the light of day. For the future when they do next bid for the cup next it’d be great for these nations and long overdue (considering another nz rwc is probably 30 odd years away) to experience the rwc and the lasting benefits that would come from the new infrustructure. For Fiji and Samoa, considering they’d probably be 3rd seeds in their groups it’d be great for their games against the 4th and 5th seeds to be at home, possibly even for the game against the 2nd seed. The game against the 1st seed might need a bigger stadium but you never know, organisers might see otherwise.
October 25th 2011 @ 9:22pm
Mike said | October 25th 2011 @ 9:22pm | Report comment
There seems to be an islander in most of the top national teams these days. They have helped to drag up the standard of rugby around the world and we owe them a debt.