If the World Cup comes to Ireland, there will be no reason to worry in the North as Ireland will not play there due to crowd capacity. The IRFU will play all Irish games at Croker if possible to maximise revenue. A money making bonanza for the IRFU.
I'd be surprised if Ireland got it this time around especially as it seems to be mainly based on promises to develop stadiums, but then again the government have never needed an excuse to throw money at the GAA to develop infrastructure they'll barely use.
Has there been a complete list of possible venues earmarked? I've heard Lansdowne, Croke Park, Thomond Park, Ravenhill, Casement Park, Semple Stadium, MacHale Park, Pearse Stadium, the Limerick Gaelic Grounds and Páirc Uí Chaoimh... Is that the complete list?
I'd have guessed/hoped that one of the criteria would be how the money spent would have some kind of legacy effect at promoting the game - in that cases the revelopment of GAA stadia might not go down too well (although without them, there's not a hope of Ireland hosting the event).Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Obviously they paid a lot towards Croke Park, but that hardly falls into the barely used category. They're giving a nice bit towards PUC, which is in desperate need of redevelopment and will offer a decent alternative to CP/Dublin for a lot of events. What else have they contributed towards, I'm sure there's been plenty but I'm just curious?
I know Limerick play in Thomond, but it's a shame the re-development of at least one or two club football grounds couldn't be tied into this as well. Tallaght could be "completed" at the end and there's been talk of re-developing Dalymount for years. Is that something that may go ahead as part of the legacy of Dublin's hosting of Euro 2020? The likes of Turner's Cross would have foundations there. Re-development plans for the Brandywell are also being realised (finally).
It's a bit ridiculous really that Galway Sportsgrounds, home of Connaught rugby, isn't getting redeveloped to bring it up to scratch for a few group games at least.
Last edited by osarusan; 11/12/2014 at 11:08 AM.
England are using 13 venues next year (including the MilStad in Cardiff); Japan expect to have 10-12 in 2019.
Good if it happens and is spread around Ireland, esp to Rugby relative hotbeds. There should be an Ulster country venue. Exeter (the smallest and most remote venue in England 2015) holds 12,000 and will stage Italy v Romania and Namibia against Tonga and Georgia. Ballymena or wherever should be able to handle that with a bit of planning.
Good to hear plans for Brandywell
Last edited by Gather round; 11/12/2014 at 11:50 AM.
The reasonable maximum capacity of Tallaght in the short term wouldn't be much over 10,000 if both ends were developed, so even if it was developed it would be at the very lowest level. It would probably depend on the council contributing a couple of million when the area has much more acute problems than the lack of a rugby stadium.
I think the minimum capacity for the World Cup is 12,000. Current capacity there is 7,500 so it would need a fair bit of work. Still think it'd be preferable to using Castlebar GAA as the "western" ground as rumoured.
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Ideally Connacht would develop a ground elsewhere. Sharing the sportsground with the greyhounds is pretty crap.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
Like the lack of a decent GAA stadium.
Except, like it or not, GAA is our national sport. And the crowd stats bear this out in the main. Though take yer 'Jap' man's point about 'legacy' re. the egg chasing.
Anyway, simply by virtue of the few countries capable of a RWC, it really 'must' be our turn?
Charlie, I'm going to insist you explain yourself. And in future, you're going to have to stop ignoring questions
Oh, please don't...
I don't think Semple Stadium is being considered - but Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney - Killarney must have more hotel rooms than anywhere else in the country.
Whilst it is the third most popular spectator sport in Ireland after Gaelic football and hurling, association football is the most widely-played sport in the country: http://www.esri.ie/pdf/BKMNINT180_Ma...of%20Sport.pdf
There are a few other rugby upstarts vying for the honours of hosting in 2023, including, the US & Canada, Italy, Argentina and Japan. France and South Africa have also expressed interest.
Can't see it going to South Africa, they've already hosted it, and they had the World cup in 2014.
I genuinely think Italy are the biggest contenders, they've the stadiums, the infrastructure, the hotel rooms and the accessibility. They could host the tournament tomorrow if they wanted.
Japan have 2019
France had it in 2007
The big contenders are Italy and South Africa imo. Both with far superior infrastructure to ours.
Argentina will bid as well but they can't sell out home games in the rugby championship so it will be too big a risk for World Rugby to go there.
USA / Canada would be interesting but I think it s a bit premature to be going there considering before the NZ / USA game lately the biggest attendance at a rugby game was about 30k in the US.
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