Ireland may co-host 2015 World Cup

[Tankie]

Ireland may co-host 2015 World Cup10/07/2008
THE rugby World Cup may be coming to these shores in 2015 with the Scottish Rugby Union on the verge of making an approach to the IRFU to co-host the event. The SRU is refusing to confirm or deny reports that it is considering a joint-bid with their Irish counterparts to stage the elite tournament in seven years' time.

"We are not ruling anything in or anything out," SRU spokesman Dominic McKay said yesterday.

"What we need to do is consult with other unions to see what is possible. There will also be discussions with key stakeholders."

The lack of a proper stadium structure should no longer be an issue by 2015 as it was six years ago when both countries football unions made a joint bid to UEFA in 2002 to co-host Euro 2008.

The IRFU will have a redeveloped Lansdowne Road and new Thomond Park available while there are big plans to redevelop Ravenhill in Belfast.

Should Croke Park continue to open its doors to rugby and soccer beyond 2010, then an 82,000 capacity stadium would bolster the joint bid process between the two home unions.

However the International Rugby Board (IRB) is already facing charges of "excessive greed" by one of its own members after it emerged that the 2015 hosts will have fork out a whopping €126m to host the tournament.

I heard about this awhile back but I thought nothing of it but it has been reported more and more recently, I know England and Wales seem to be planning a bid too so competition to get this would be tough.

I think it would be a great thing for the country if we can host it. Also incase people are unsure generally the Rugby World Cup runs from Mid - Sept to end October.

[Tankie]

I find it hard to believe that lads would vote no to this one!

[GalwayBayBoy]

Coker

A slip of the tongue there tankie?

[Denn Forever]

Will they need Croke park by then?  Landsdown Road should be finished by then.  Thomond Park.  Also the new stadium on the old Long Kesh site if it gets the go ahead?  Didn't we get some of the games when it was in France last year?

[Loughers]

We can all see the benefits to the GAA from renting out Croke Park to rugby and soccer.  Yeah, the GAA get 1m a game, but how much do the other 2 make?  70 quid for an AI ticket, but the IRFU charging 440 for two tickets for one person in a job lot for Ireland v England and Ireland v Argentina.  More young lads playing underage rugby in Birr than hurling and I'd say this is the same across hurling strongholds.  Plummetting attendances at GAA matches.  Oh yeah, it's been great for the GAA.

[Gnevin]

We can all see the benefits to the GAA from renting out Croke Park to rugby and soccer.  Yeah, the GAA get 1m a game, but how much do the other 2 make?  70 quid for an AI ticket, but the IRFU charging 440 for two tickets for one person in a job lot for Ireland v England and Ireland v Argentina.  More young lads playing underage rugby in Birr than hurling and I'd say this is the same across hurling strongholds.  Plummetting attendances at GAA matches.  Oh yeah, it's been great for the GAA.

1) The IRFU/FAI would make this money regardless of using Croker
2) Hurling has never been stronger in Dublin ,May the Offaly country board should get off their asses and do something about it
3) How is "Plemmeting attendances" at GAA matches related to Croker? The GAA claim the attendance are holding up which isnt bad considering the economy at the moment.

[Tankie]

If lads are not playing GAA i don't blame other sports or the opening or croke park, i blame the GAA themselves for not investing more. You talk about the price of tickets for Ireland games but you forget that the IRFU have a €20 wagesbill to pay every year. You guys who think other sports are the end of the gaa need to move with the times, kids should play all sports when they are young and pick the sport the favour when they get older.

In regard to the French WC we had been given Irelands pool games but we had to give them back as we had no stadium but i think this proposal would be for 3 groups or so. As you say they may not need Croker and if this is a serious bid i would expect the IRFU not to bother going down that road as it could make their bid look unstable but if they had an agreement in place before the bid i think two stadiums in Dublin would make the bid stronger!

[magpie seanie]

I find it hard to believe that lads would vote no to this one!

What time of year does the rugby world cup normally take place? September/October for the group games? No - can't think of any reason for not giving them Croker. 

[Tankie]

I find it hard to believe that lads would vote no to this one!

What time of year does the rugby world cup normally take place? September/October for the group games? No - can't think of any reason for not giving them Croker. 

There are two games in September, i am sure they could work together on this one. they did change the date of teh AI final tos uite the Ryder Cup and nobody complained. for one year teh finals could be brought forward by a week i'm sure!

[Loughers]

We can all see the benefits to the GAA from renting out Croke Park to rugby and soccer.  Yeah, the GAA get 1m a game, but how much do the other 2 make?  70 quid for an AI ticket, but the IRFU charging 440 for two tickets for one person in a job lot for Ireland v England and Ireland v Argentina.  More young lads playing underage rugby in Birr than hurling and I'd say this is the same across hurling strongholds.  Plummetting attendances at GAA matches.  Oh yeah, it's been great for the GAA.

1) The IRFU/FAI would make this money regardless of using Croker
2) Hurling has never been stronger in Dublin ,May the Offaly country board should get off their asses and do something about it
3) How is "Plemmeting attendances" at GAA matches related to Croker? The GAA claim the attendance are holding up which isnt bad considering the economy at the moment.

1) 82k versus 50k
2) What about the 50's and 60's?  So more young lads than before are playing hurling in Dublin.  Whoop de f*cking do.  With 1.5 million, I should hope so.  65k people in Offaly.  We're doing our best but we're not getting anywhere near the sort of money being pumped into the capital.
3) Opening Croke Park to rugby and soccer has given these sports a huge amount of promotion.  England v Ireland was the second most watched programme on RTE last year, due in some way to the hype from the previous year in Croke Park.  Hurling and football finals were 8th and 9th.  Attendances are down.  Look at last Sunday.  The GAA are trying to put a spin on it, badly.

[The Real Laoislad]

For once i would agree with Tankie

[Tankie]

For once i would agree with Tankie

Did somebody else sign in as LaoisLad? 

[Over the Bar]

Also the new stadium on the old Long Kesh site if it gets the go ahead?

:D:D:D

Didn't we get some of the games when it was in France last year?

Did we?

[Tankie]

Also the new stadium on the old Long Kesh site if it gets the go ahead?

:D:D:D

Didn't we get some of the games when it was in France last year?

Did we?

i said in a previous post that we were given the games but be had to give them back as we had no stadium to play the Ireland games in!

[J70]

I find it hard to believe that lads would vote no to this one!

What time of year does the rugby world cup normally take place? September/October for the group games? No - can't think of any reason for not giving them Croker. 

Don't know how it has gone so far, but will rugby matches not mess up the pitch, at least for hurling?