SA officials humble in defeat

'We couldn't have done anything better'

The South African 2011 World Cup bid committee were humble in defeat, after New Zealand scored a shock victory over their more fancied rivals - SA and Japan - in the voting process in Dublin on Thursday.

After the Kiwis were awarded the rights to host the 2011 RWC tournament, when the SA bid was knocked out in the first round of voting, the overwhelming emotion from officials were one of "bitter disappointment".

The SA bid CEO, Francois Pienaar, said that his team could not have done anything better or different.

He pointed out that he felt that had the 2011 RWC been awarded to South Africa, the tournament would have generated £10-million (US$17-million) more than either of the other two bids.

"Yes, it is obviously a big disappointment," Pienaar said. "But congratulations to New Zealand. It was really close and one vote in the first round could have saved us."

Pienaar said he felt his team had done their best and added that he would change nothing in the way they present their bid if they were to do it again.

He added that he is confident South Africa will host a major rugby event in the future and that this is not the end of the road.

"The game is growing enormously in South Africa and there is a bright future," Pienaar said.

He was supported in this view by other officials.

The Minister of Sport and Recreation, Makhenkesi Stofile, was also philosophical about the outcome of Thursday's vote.

"It is a very big blow for us," Stofile said in Dublin, where he was part of the SA bid committee. "We are obviously disappointed, but we are not going to die. We are sports people. When you win you win, when you lose you lose.

"We will prepare our teams in the gymnasium to make sure they challenge for the Cup no matter where it is held."

Like Pienaar, Stofile confirmed that South Africa voted for New Zealand after they were knocked out in the first round.

Mveleli Ncula, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) deputy chief executive, also echoed the "bitterly disappointed" sentiment.

"We thought we'd done our homework, this has come as a complete shock," he told reporters.

"We thought we'd prepared for every eventuality, we did a very, very good job.

"We had the support of the government, and we had very positive responses from the unions but in a secret ballot anything can happen."

Arthob Petersen, the Springbok team manager and senior SARU administrator, also expressed his disappointment.

"The biggest disappointment is the fact that we got knocked out in the first round of voting," Petersen said.

The Bok team manager - along with Bok coach Jake White and captain John Smit - flew in from Cardiff (where they face Wales on Saturday) to support the SA bid committee.

"South Africa put forward a compelling case, but congratulations to New Zealand," Petersen said. "I must congratulate the SA bid team for the stunning and sterling work they did.

"We had a good chance, but lost We must now move on," he added.