The Springboks managed to severely embarrass SA days before a crucial vote on the host country for Rugby World Cup 2023 after losing 38-3 to bid rivals Ireland in Dublin‚ but it is unlikely to have a material influence on delegates. The World Rugby Council will cast its votes in London on Wednesday in a contest between SA‚ Ireland and France to decide the host country. As dismal and bleak as the Springboks’ performance in Dublin this weekend was‚ decisions about hosting a tournament of the size and scale of a Rugby World Cup are not made on one-off games between two rival bidders. An expected social media backlash did try to link the two outcomes‚ but the truth of the matter is that an independent technical review committee had spent months evaluating each of the three bids. After detailed analysis, the bids were scored on six weighted criteria and SA’s bid achieved nearly 79%‚ which was 3% higher than France and 6% more than Ireland. Since World Rugby revealed the technical committ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.