Ireland’s World Cup 2023 bid has 40% of votes secured, declares Dick Spring

The head of Ireland’s Rugby World Cup bid team believes they have already secured over 40% of the votes available in the race to secure the 2023 tournament.

The claim was made yesterday by the bid team’s chairman Dick Spring, former tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, who also insists that the research figures will project into a “financially successful” tournament despite a €100 million advance fee to host it.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio, the former Ireland international said the efforts of Hugo MacNeill and the working group set up last year has provided encouraging evidence to support the bid.