France favourites to host 2007 World Cup

FRANCE have emerged favourites, ahead of England, to host the 2007 Rugby World Cup .

French Rugby Federation President Bernard Lapasset is said to have won, “a fair degree of support” after promising Ireland, Scotland and Wales that, assuming none of the three were drawn against France, they would be afforded an opportunity to host group matches in their own countries.

An added incentive was that they would share some of the income for doing so.

England and France will lodge their bids at the World Cup Dublin Headquarter’s today but a decision won’t be taken until April when 21 votes will be cast by secret ballot.

The winner will be chosen by simple majority.

France saw the three Celtic countries as crucially important to their bid. The three, between them, hold six votes while Australia (2), Italy (1) and FIRA (1), representing continental Europe (all said to openly support the French bid), would add another four.

Four other countries; France, South Africa, New Zealand and England each have two votes apiece while Japan, Argentina and Canada have one vote.

If France do hold true to the promise of home pools, they would surely win full support from the other nations, according to one Irish Rugby Football Union source.

“No decision has been taken because it does not need to be taken at this stage. But they must be in with a serious shout,” admitted the IRFU source.

The English Rugby Union have persevered with a tour-tier plan to revolutionise the tournament by hosting 48 national teams at more than 30 venues scattered across England.

However Wales could be a deciding factor because the WRU has legally binding agreements with both France and England, guaranteeing a reciprocal arrangement in return for giving them 20 per cent of the gate at the last tournament which Wales hosted, with France, England, Scotland and Ireland as sub-hosts.