Australia withdraw RWC bid

The Australian rugby board has decided to withdraw its bid for the 2015 World Cup, stating that it could not meet the guarantees asked for by the IRB. The Board has stated that it wants £80 million guaranteed by the country for 2015 and this amount increases to £96 million for the 2019 event.

There are concerns that this could price too many nations out of the running and given the tough year that the Australian rugby authorities have had in terms of their finances, they feel that they are not in a position to compete. Another worry is that the country that hosts the tournament is expected to take care of all the other costs of hosting the event and this can become a massive expense.

The other nations that are currently in the running to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup include South Africa, England, Italy and Japan. An announcement on the winner is expected in July.

May 6th, 2009 | Posted in Rugby World Cup | No Comments »