'There is no compromise in quality,' says SA Rugby chief execitive Jurie Roux
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A low risk tournament in terms of security and financial exposure‚ and a high earning yield are key elements of SA Rugby’s impressive Rugby World Cup 2023 bid that was formally presented in Dublin on Tuesday.
Less than a month after receiving national government’s official support to bid for RWC 2023‚ SA Rugby presented its bid book with high expectations.
SA Rugby shied away from emotion in the dossier‚ rather letting the facts and figures tell the story of a tournament that could eclipse all others if it is held in South Africa in six years’ time.
“South Africa will be the most profitable World Cup ever because we will be able to produce the tournament at 50% of the cost of any of the European bids‚” SA Rugby Chief executive Jurie Roux told Times Media Digital.
“If you look at price parity‚ we are one third of Europe.
"In other words‚ a tourist will be able to come to South Africa for three weeks for the equivalent cost of one week in Europe.
“There is no compromise in quality because our hotel rooms are the same standard and double the size.
“Our bid is based on six points – the best facilities‚ the biggest profit‚ a beneficial cost advantage (price parity)‚ a country advantage in that we are a ‘rugby’ country and embrace the sport; a unique experience country due to all the tourist attractions away from the event‚ and we’re a major event country because we have successfully hosted the football‚ rugby and cricket World Cups in the past.
“We believe that commercially we have the strongest bid.”
SA’s bid exceeds just about all of World Rugby’s requirements for staging the global showpiece thanks largely to the legacy of recently hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Stadiums‚ hotels‚ airports and other infrastructure are well in place along with other considerations such as security issues that are plaguing Europe at the moment‚ all advance South Africa’s case.
In terms of costs‚ it will be relatively cheap to stage.
“The building blocks are already in place‚” Roux‚ who presented the book with SA’s Irish ambassador Ahlangene Cyprian Sigcau‚ said.
“No infrastructure spend would be required and the economic impact study we have commissioned from Grant Thornton has a good news story to tell South Africa.
“We predict that hosting Rugby World Cup 2023 would have a R27.3 billion direct‚ indirect and induced economic impact on South Africa; R5.7 billion would flow to low income households; 38 600 temporary or permanent jobs would be sustained and there’d be an estimated R1.4 billion tax benefit to government.”
The final hurdle in SA Rugby’s path was to have full government endorsement‚ which new Minister of Sport and Recreation Thulas Nxesi granted earlier this month.
Having government underwrite the costs of the tournament was essential.
“If I were to draw on my experiences from the Soccer World Cup in 2010‚ in terms of nation building‚ we saw both black and white in the stands supporting Bafana Bafana and enjoying the football‚” Nxesi said.
“The legacy of that tournament‚ amongst black and white‚ is very important.
"A big part of that legacy is the stadia that were built‚ which means that we have the necessary infrastructure in place already and we don’t have to start from scratch.
“It means the hosting costs would be seriously reduced and I believe that the hosting of the Rugby World Cup in 2023 can also leave a huge legacy and make a big impact‚ just like soccer did (in 2010).”
The bid is up against Ireland and France. Both are northern hemisphere bids‚ which also makes the South African bid attractive.
The weighty dossier (literally – it came in at 8.2kg) has ticked every box required‚ not least of which is the £120 million (R2.2 billion) guarantee that World Rugby requires from the winning applicant as its ‘fee’.
In line with World Rugby's selection procedure‚ all bids will be reviewed in detail by a specialist technical review group and independently assessed to ensure a fair and consistent approach to the decision-making process.
“The process now is an evaluation by a committee‚ followed by a period of clarification questions‚” Roux said.
“Post that there is still time to sign the commercial and participation agreements by the end of July and then the committee will make further recommendations to the Rugby World Cup Board.
“There will then be a public announcement on who the preferred candidate is‚ which makes it almost impossible for the council to vote another way.”
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
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