Leo is trying his best for Rugby World Cup bid

Crouch, pause, touch, engage... and, hopefully, do enough hand-shaking, grinning for the cameras, and small-talk to drive us over the line.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Irish rugby legends Brian O’Driscoll and Niamh Briggs, and a host of other officials will travel to London today in an attempt to win over vital backing for Ireland’s Rugby World Cup 2023 bid.

With just weeks to go before the November 15 announcement of who will host the Rugby World Cup 2023, representatives from Ireland, France, and South Africa will each make their final presentations in London today.

And while France’s bid has been weakened by president Emmanuel Macron’s refusal to produce a video in support of the campaign or to travel to London for the presentation, the Irish pack has been left in no doubt about our Government’s interest in the bid.

Before meeting British prime minister Theresa May at Downing Street this afternoon, Mr Varadkar will travel with Sports Minister Shane Ross to the headquarters of the Rugby World Council, where they will emphasise the value to Ireland of a successful bid.

They will be joined by former Irish rugby captain and 2023 bid ambassador Brian O’Driscoll; women’s team captain Niamh Briggs; Ireland 2023 oversight board chairman Dick Spring; Northern Ireland civil service chief David Sterling; American Ireland Fund president Kieran McLoughlin, and IRFU chief executive Philip Browne, as part of a high-powered push to drive the Irish bid over the line.

In a promotional video released last night, Mr Varadkar emphasised the benefit that hosting the sporting event would have on Ireland, while officials from all four provinces said the bid would showcase Ireland as an entire island.

Last night, a Government spokesperson said Ireland is “confident” it can win by projecting the benefits of an Irish world cup for the sport and as a “welcome contribution to the economy, north and south”.