South African rugby wasn’t so much stabbed in the back as smashed in the face when the World Rugby Council decided to award the 2023 IRB World Cup to France in defiance of its own code of conduct.
South Africa had been the preferred candidate after a thorough analysis of bids fromthem , France and Ireland. World Rugby did not go so far as to say the outcome was binding but it was agreed that the council would use the evaluation report to guide it to vote.
Instead, France won 25 votes to South Africa ’s 14. The cost to South Africa is a predicted R27.5-billion in income against a marginal R5-billion to R6-billion to stage the event. More devastatingly, it is a blow to the nation ’s position as a sport powerhouse.
SA Rugby could have done no more than deliver the best bid and reasonably expectthat the council would show integrity and vote as agreed. The outcome has left the nation reeling because it’s evident that the contest was not about transparency and rugby’s image.
It was decided by old allegiances and betrayal. Australia, New Zealand and Argentina,South Africa’s three Sanzaar partners, voted for the preferred candidate as was expected. Wales, too, voted for the best candidate based on the assessment. But Japan, whose Sunwolves play in Sanzaar ’s Super Rugby tournament, voted for France. So did the gormless Rugby Afrique.
Four votes from supposed business partners went to a rival business. SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux and president Mark Alexander were visibly stunned because the rules were blatantly broken.
Short of going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, there is nothingthat can be done to reverse the outcome. The message from the north is clear: “themoney and power of rugby is in Europe and Sanzaar are tier-two nations when it comesto politics.”
“The majority of the council abandoned its own evaluation report in a secret ballot, and you’ll have to ask them why they did that ,” Roux said. “There will be questions for World Rugby now because you can’t go through an independent process and then vote against it.”
Bidding again for the 2027 event app ears unlikely now, considering the huge snub. Alexander said: “It will be for the next generation of SA Rugby leaders to decide whether to compete for 2027 or beyond. “I’m sure we will fulfil the dream of hosting the tournament once again someday but our hearts bleed that it will not be in 2023.”..