South Africa 2023 Rugby World Cup bid in jeopardy

The 2023 Rugby World Cup maybe have become a three horse race with Ireland as a front runner after news from South Africa that the South African Rugby Union (SARU) could be prevented from bidding for the tournament by its own government.

Ireland is bidding for the tournament to be hosted on the island north and south along with bids from France and Italy.

France hosted the tournament in 2007, while the Italian federation was runner up to England for last year’s competition. South Africa famously staged the event in 1995 where South African captain Francois Pienaar and Nelson Mandela in the Springbok shirt made global headlines.

But the South African bid now seems to be seriously undermined after race issues again emerged with the South African sports minister, Fikile Mbalula, banning the country's five top sports federations from bidding for or hosting major international tournaments for at least a year over their failures to create opportunities for black players.

The decision arrived after the minister received a report on the lack of “transformation” in South Africa’s five biggest sports rugby, cricket, football, athletics and netball. Football was the only federation to meet its target, while race “quotas” in rugby at international level have been an ongoing controversial issue.

The Government ban comes into effect immediately, although, there is some latitude in that if the SARU can accelerate it’s “transformation” process to the satisfaction of the Government, the decision maybe be reversed at the end of 2017.

SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux said in a statement on the SARU website that they were confident the ban would be revoked.

“We are confident that the suspension will be lifted at the next reporting of the EPG (Eminent Person’s Group),” said Roux, adding that SA Rugby planned to engage the minister on the organisation’s hopes of hosting the 2023 Rugby World Cup to fully understand the implications.

The bidding process is due to start next month but will not conclude until next year, by which time SA Rugby hopes to have had the right to host reinstated.

A World Rugby spokesman said: “We have noted the comments and will be discussing any implications with the SARU.”

South Africa was seen to be in a strong position for 2023 given that up until last year in London, the hosts had alternated between northern and southern hemispheres. The 2019 competition will also be held in northern hemisphere Japan, which will break the cycle, and may have strengthened World Rugby’s desire to bring the event south.

Mbalula’s move certainly complicates South Africa’s intention to bid as World Rugby will release tender documents to interested countries in May, and countries must formally confirm their intention to bid in June.

For many years now the South African government has been pushing for the country’s main sports, especially in what are seen as elite white sports, rugby and cricket, to create more opportunities for black players. More than two decades after the end of apartheid, those sports continue to be dominated by whites despite the fact that blacks make up more than 80% of South Africa’s population.