Ireland launches Rugby World Cup bid

Ireland will bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2023.

The campaign, which will be launched this afternoon, would, if successful, see games being played in rugby and GAA stadiums North and South of the border, as the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive are to join forces to make the bid on an all-island basis.

If the bid is successful it would be worth an estimated €800m, bringing in 337,000 worldwide fans. Leo Varadkar is to make the pitch at a major rugby conference in Dublin being held by the International Rugby Board.

Broadcaster and rugby commentator George Hook claims Ireland is more than equipped to host the tournament:

"We've Thomond Park, we've Croke Park, we've the Aviva, we've Ravenhill, we've Musgrave Park – lord knows we even have the Sportsground in Galway," he said.

Hook also claimed that high-capacity venues were needed for only the top few games.

"You're not going to get 25,000 people watching Namibia versus Georgia," he said, "it is only the really big games we need really big grounds for."

"I think we have a much better than evens chance of pulling this one off."