Schmidt says World Cup offers All-Ireland gains

The whole island of Ireland would reap the benefits of a successful bid to stage the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Irish coach Joe Schmidt has said.

The man who guided the national side to glory in the RBS Six Nations this season highlighted the key role Northern Ireland could play in securing the tournament as he and the team were hosted at a special reception at Stormont in Belfast last night.

While the reception was held to mark the nerve-shredding triumph in March, many eyes were focused nine years hence and on the potential of a cross-border World Cup.

Schmidt said Ireland could replicate the success of his native New Zealand in its staging of the 2011 tournament.

“You have got the same population and the same kind of energy around sporting occasions and I think you have got the stadia,” he said. “It would have to be a buy-in from all the sporting codes but I think that exists, it certainly seems to exist.

“One of the niche things for Ireland is the proximity of everything. You’ve got that nice proximity where the roads are good, you can get from venue to venue.

“I think the whole country has an opportunity to benefit from it and also an opportunity to support it with the way they welcome people in.”

He added: “There are so many positives to it that I really hope it can be successful.”

A cross-border working group, chaired by former Irish international Hugo MacNeill, has been set up to prepare a feasibility study into a joint bid by the Belfast and Dublin governments.

The event hosted by Stormont Sports Minister Caral Ní Chuilin was attended by Irish captain Paul O’Connell, retiring superstar Brian O’Driscoll as well as many other of the Six Nations winning team.

Rory Best, Paddy Jackson and Andrew Trimble were among the Ulster contingent present.

Ms Ni Chuilin said: “I have already indicated my support for the proposed bid by the Irish Rugby Football Union to host the Rugby World Cup in Ireland in 2023. It would be wonderful to see the competition taking place here and perhaps a home championship win for Ireland.”

Stormont’s First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness also strongly endorsed the likely bid.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said: “This is a great night for us, we are very proud to be part of it.

“And we are also very determined to do anything in our power through our administration, working with the Irish government, to see that Hugo MacNeill, who has the onerous responsibility of hopefully leading the effort to bring a World Cup to the island of Ireland, that he can succeed.”