Why didn’t South Africa win the right to host Rugby World Cup 2023? That is the question being grappled at the moment because it seems, not for the first time, the country is pulling daggers from its back.

The IRFU has doubled down on its doubts over South Africa’s suitability to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Problems with venues, IT services, and a lack of experience were major contributing factors which have left Ireland’s dream of hosting the 2023 Rugby World Cup in tatters.

Yesterday’s report by World Rugby’s Technical Review Group was fulsome in its praise for three “outstanding candidate submissions” and the IRFU was particularly keen to cling on to the remark that all of them could host a “successful” tournament.

Frontrunners at breakfast, dirt-trackers by brunch.

What a disaster. Ireland’s race to host the 2023 World Cup exclusively in this country is, on the face of it, all but run before even reaching the starting line of World Rugby’s council vote in London on November 15, writes Donal Lenihan.

A “desperately slow” process to redevelop Belfast’s Casement Park won’t speed up should Ireland’s 2023 Rugby World Cup bid fail.

Nobody should really be surprised the board of World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, has recommended South Africa as its unanimous choice to host the 2023 World Cup.

November 15 next is a date that has loomed large on the Irish rugby calendar for some time, yet you won’t find a fixture of any consequence on the day.

Shane Ross said the ticketing arrangements for the bid have been forensically checked.

“This bid is an extraordinarily powerful declaration of intent by the IRFU, our friends in the GAA, the governments, state bodies from North and South and the Irish people.”

Tickets for games at the 2023 Rugby World Cup could be as low as €20 if an all-Ireland bid for the tournament is successful, it has been claimed.

There are genuine reasons for concern over Brexit’s impact on Ireland’s bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, writes Paul Rouse.

The Government has said underwriting a €320m bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup bid is “not a waste of money” amid fierce criticism yesterday.

Ireland remain favourites to win hosting rights.

That agreement has been annulled in order to “protect the integrity of the host selection process”.

Razzamatazz came home this week when the IRFU launched its bid to host the 2023 World Cup.

Tipperary GAA chiefs have expressed disappointment that Semple Stadium has been omitted from the stadia comprising Ireland’s 2023 Rugby World Cup bid, as TDs from the county are set to demand answers for its omission.

The next big move will be hoisting that roof onto the main stand!

Ireland completed a questionnaire, outlining detailed information for hosting the event.

Ireland’s hopes of securing hosting rights for the 2023 Rugby World Cup were given a boost yesterday when the chief executive of World Rugby (formerly the IRB) indicated that the tournament is likely to end up in, or near, Dublin’s time zone.