NEWS ROUND-UP:ENGLAND WILL bid to host the 2015 World Cup, possibly in partnership with Wales, despite having reservations about a process that cost the Rugby Football Union roughly €1 million six years ago in a fruitless quest to stage the 2007 event, when the English union mustered a mere one vote in losing out to France.
The latest English move was prompted by the belief Ireland and Scotland were considering making a joint bid for the showpiece.
Yesterday, an IRFU spokesman said: "The IRFU have held no formal discussions regarding joint bids or otherwise for hosting the 2015 and 2019 World Cups but, in saying that, the IRFU would not rule out a joint bid. We retain aspirations in the future."
The International Rugby Board met in Hong Kong on Tuesday and resolved to decide the hosts for the 2015 and 2019 World Cups in July next year. South Africa, Japan and Australia want the 2015 event, but the Japanese, who missed out on hosting the 2011 finals, are favourites to get the 2019 event after the IRB said it was seeking to take the event out of the game's traditional heartlands.
The IRB needs 2015 to make a considerable profit - the 2011 tournament in New Zealand is set to bring in far less than the previous two World Cups, in France and Australia.
Given England is the only other financial banker after France and Australia, next year's vote should be a pushover, but the RFU, which had hoped to be offered the tournament rather than having to bid, is taking nothing for granted after the humiliation of 2002.
Whereas it proposed to stage the 2007 tournament as a stand-alone host, it now recognises the need to garner votes and approached Wales after getting wind of the possibility of Scotland and Ireland mounting a bid.
England have not hosted the event since 1991 and if South Africa or Australia prevailed next year it would mean the Southern Hemisphere hosting at least two consecutive tournaments.
"The success of Rugby World Cup since its inception in 1987 has been remarkable," said the IRB chairman, Bernard Lapasset. "It has grown into one of the five top sporting events in the world and it is vital that we continue to maximise its popularity and success.
"It is the building block of the game because of the substantial investments it allows us to make in developing nations and we believe that awarding two tournaments together will provide a better time frame for tournament planning and provide longer-term certainty for hosts and commercial partners.
"The commercial success of the tournament means we can now consider placing the World Cup in new developing markets to assist with strategic growth."
New Zealand's assistant coach Steve Hansen, meanwhile, has labelled the experimental lineout law a "mistake". He said: "The contest in the lineout has been flipped over to one side. The defending team has got an advantage. The decision to make the laws has been based around making it easier for the referee so he doesn't have to count numbers."
Guardian Service
