NZ touts joint RWC bid with Japan

Race for 2011 tournament hots up

The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) has admitted that they have not ruled out the possibility of co-hosting the 2011 Rugby World Cup with Japan.

Three countries - South Africa, New Zealand and Japan - have publicly expressed an interesting in hosting the showpiece event in their own right.

But the NZRU's bombshell throws up the prospect of one tournament taking place across two hemispheres - in two distinct climatic seasons.

"Joining up with Japan is a secondary option - but it's not something we have dismissed out of hand," NZRU chairman Jock Hobbs told the Sunday Star-Times of New Zealand.

"We have had a couple of meetings with the Japanese. They have been very cordial.

"The chairman of Japan rugby attended a test match in Christchurch and requested a meeting.

"Putting the World Cup aside, having a good strong relationship with Japan rugby is important and so a meeting was held.

"As part of that meeting the fact we were going to bid and they were going to bid was discussed and that led to discussions around co-hosting or sub-hosting it.

"Then it was decided out of that meeting that a further meeting would be held to explore it further and that was held in Japan a couple of months later."

With most of a host nation's RWC revenue coming from ticket sales, New Zealand will need to revamp their infrastructure in order to make a successful (i.e. profitable) solo bid.

Indeed, New Zealand was stripped of the right to co-host the 2003 tournament with Australia when NZRU bosses acknowledged that they could not meet the various commercial conditions imposed by the International Rugby Board (IRB).

The NZRU predicted that the 2003 project would leave them seriously out of pocket, and the idea of bringing in the financial clout of Japan for 2011 would ward off the prospect of financial losses.

"There is a guaranteed amount that the host must return to Rugby World Cup Ltd - [the amount] is in sterling and it's not a small figure," said Hobbs.

"That is a major factor in whether we are capable of hosting it. But there is a critical date in the next stage of the tendering process early next year.

"The board will need to start to consider seriously how far we go by then.

"Obvious difficulties are distance and there's a debate over whether to co-host or sub-host, as well.

"But there are a number of issues like financial thresholds of Rugby World Cup Ltd and they need to be thrown into the pot."

But Hobbs responded to the Sunday newspaper reports in Monday's edition of the Dominion Post, clarifying the point that a joint bid with Japan remained a distant second option, and adding that any bid to go alone would be reliant on financial support of the New Zealand government.

"We had a couple of meetings in Japan and out of that, while the door is not totally shut at this early stage, both countries are committed to focusing on their own respective bids," he said.

Government support is very important if we are to take our bid any further or pull the pin."

The latest developments appear to put South Africa's bid in the box-seat - not only is their infrastructure in place, it will be fine-tuned in readiness for the 2010 FIFA World Cup which will be staged on South African soil.