Rugby chiefs unveil 2007 World Cup plans

English rugby chiefs today unveiled their plans to stage the 2007 World Cup.

The Rugby Football Union’s “preferred option” is for a 16-team World Cup, plus a 32-team Rugby World Nations Cup running in parallel.

But they have also presented two more proposals to the International Rugby Board for consideration.

The “traditional option” would see a continuation of the current 20-team World Cup format, while a “hybrid option” would combine bits of both other proposals.

England are joined in the race to stage World Cup 2007 by France, who have yet to make public their plans.

The RFU’s bid to become sole hosts in four years’ time will include matches played at 16 top-flight stadia around the country.

These will include Manchester’s Commonwealth Games stadium, Old Trafford, Bolton’s Reebok Stadium and Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium.

Traditional rugby hotbeds will also be utilised though, such as Welford Road, Leicester, Northampton’s redeveloped Franklin’s Gardens and Kingsholm, the location of current Premiership leaders Gloucester.

“Our aim is to be sole hosts of the event,” said RFU chief executive Francis Baron.

“A solo approach clarifies responsibility, accountability and ensures smoother management and logistics, as South Africa proved so effectively in 1995.

“We will also ask Scotland, Ireland and Wales to nominate a representative on the board of the RFU tournament operating company, ‘England 2007 Limited’.

“In return, a financial participation package will be discussed with them to assist in the development of the game in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

“Ultimately however, the success of the event is about income generation for the developing world of rugby.

“We aim to deliver revenues far in excess of any previous RWC tournament,” Baron added.

“We will do this by generating more revenue from the revised format in a commercially attractive market, and by prudent financial management.

“By playing games at 16 top-flight stadia around the country, we are able to give people in England the best possible chance of seeing world-class rugby in superb facilities, all of which underline the excellent infrastructure we have at our disposal.”

RFU operations director Terry Burwell added: “The 16-team RWC and 32-team RWC will provide 100 matches, involving 48 nations, and ensure that the game has a strong and wide-reaching world platform from which to showcase the sport.

“Our innovative proposal includes a new ‘Super 8’ stage to be introduced after the first round pool matches have been completed to increase the number of competitive games, and ensure that the winning team will have played five of the top eight sides in the world.”

As far as the World Cup is concerned, the RFU’s version for 2007 will see teams playing a round robin in four pools of four.

The top two teams in each pool would then progress to the Super 8 format, in two groups of four.

The Nations Cup will feature 28 teams currently ranked outside the world’s top 20. The remaining four teams will include those who do not qualify for the next World Cup.

The RFU’s preferred option proposal will be considered by the IRB Council in November, with a final decision expected in April next year.

“We believe that we have tabled a strong bid,” said Baron, who was accompanied at today’s Twickenham launch by fellow high-ranking RFU officials and leading players.

“Through excellent forward planning, we aim to make the Rugby World Cup 2007 the most widely experienced, viewed, read about and listened to rugby event ever, and we will put in place a creative marketing programme to ensure the best commercial return for our partners.”