Nxesi to sling weight behind Rugby World Cup 2023 bid

New Sport and Recreation Minister Thulas Nxesi hinted strongly that the government would support South Africa's Rugby World Cup 2023 bid after meeting SA Rugby yesterday.

"In terms of nation-building, the Soccer World Cup in 2010 was important. There are a lot of white supporters now watching local soccer, so [hosting a major event] is very important," he said.

"We have the stadiums that were built for 2010 and the other infrastructure that is in place.

• New Sports Minister Nxesi hints at government backing of SA Rugby's World Cup bidNew Minister of Sport and Recreation Thulas Nxesi hinted strongly that government would soon formally support the Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2023 bid after meeting with SA Rugby at their offices on Tuesday.

"For RWC 2023 you don't have to start from scratch, so the cost would be seriously reduced."

SA Rugby has continued its bid application for rugby's showpiece event in six years' time, despite no formal government backing.

The governing body's president, Mark Alexander, gave nothing away, but the body language and smiles suggested that a much-needed formal backing of the bid was imminent.

"It was important to meet the minister and find common ground," Alexander said.

"Today was like an induction programme for the minister. We took him through all our initiatives and had good discussions.

"We have great stadiums that are all-seaters, and we stand a good chance of winning this bid.

"It's long overdue and would be good for South Africa. When you consider that tourism makes up between 6% and 9% of the county's GDP, and sport tourism is a large portion of it, it's a no-brainer to host RWC 2023.

"The economic impact alone is projected to be R28.3-billion to the economy," Alexander said.

Nxesi was also brought up to speed regarding the two Super Rugby franchises to be axed from the competition next year.

"I was briefed about the Super Rugby situation and I had questions about what it meant for the affected clubs," Nxesi said.

"But there are still discussions and there are different options. It's not only a South African thing; it has been decided at the highest level.

"What it must not do is discourage those from the provinces that will be affected. I know there is no final decision on it."