Rugby World Cup 2023: The State of Play - France
With the bidding process for the 2023 Rugby World Cup hotting up, we continue our look at the potential host countries and break down their chances of securing the spectacle. Last up, it’s France.
It seems near enough every development surrounding the 2023 World Cup at the moment is about France’s campaign promising yet more money to World Rugby in order to secure the honour of having Parisian silversmiths make the All Blacks’ winning medals. France not only agreed to pay the £120million required to host the tournament, but actually offered to go £30million over that, in addition to recruiting Société Générale to help cover €236million of operational costs.
As if that weren’t enough, they’ve offered €112milllion to purchase the marketing and hospitality rights usually taken care of by World Rugby, have forecast €377million in ticketing revenue and secured €90million worth of support from the French government. In total, it looks like somewhere in the region of £350million will be going to World Rugby, a figure that is only rumoured to increase the closer the bids get to submission. Suffice to say, France are working on the assumption that money talks, and does so in a sexy French accent.
Of course, it’s not just money that the French bid team are hoping can swing the odds in their favour. They previously hosted the tournament in 2007, and will be arguing that the recent experience of hosting will represent a valuable advantage over hosting virgins Ireland and 1995 hosts South Africa. That said, World Rugby may be reluctant to return to France so soon, preferring to give someone else the opportunity. France however will counter that they’re in an even better shape to host the spectacle than they were 10 years ago, with billions spent on venues and infrastructure due to the hosting of the Euros 2016 soccer tournament.
France are also promising unparalleled atmosphere. The fact that the bid is being promoted with the tagline “2023 will make vibrate” is of course in no way amusing and certainly not worth giggling about at the back of the classroom, but France certainly know how to do sporting spectacle. Given that they’ve promised to sell 2.5million tickets as well, a successful bid by France would almost certainly result in a tournament well worth watching.
However, not all is rosé in the French camp. There have been some serious questions raised about some of the figures involved in the bid campaign, and whilst no one has directly accused the team of any FIFA-like shenanigans, World Rugby will know that they have to be careful to avoid any further scandal. For example, former France coach and current FFR president Bernard Laporte has had to lessen his involvement in the campaign after it emerged he used his influence to get a ban for a Montpellier player reduced – with many looking to Laporte’s business relationship with Montpellier owner Mohed Altrad with increasing suspicion. That Altrad’s company also sponsor the national team and are backing the 2023 bid means that if there’s even the slightest whiff of dodgy activity around the selection process World Rugby will have a serious headache.
As well as the tournament itself, World Rugby consider the legacy effects of each bid to determine which is likely to have the best long term effect for rugby as a whole. France have been so bold as to claim that only by presenting the tournament to them can World Rugby prevent “the death of international rugby”, in a press release that has the faintly threatening air of a supervillain. Disappointingly, this wasn’t delivered by Laporte swivelling in a black leather chair inside a hollowed out volcano, and doesn’t involve Sebastian Chabal plotting to throw the Barrett brothers into a tank of piranhas. Instead, France 2023 claim that international rugby will be dead in the next 5-10 years unless they can stop a player exodus from the Southern Hemisphere to… France.
It’s not entirely clear how the team plan to address these issues, but from the statements given they seem to be arguing that that the leverage of hosting the international showcase would allow for greater power in discussions with the club competitions that are currently poaching the best players from around the world and weakening national sides as a result. The most logical explanation will be that in order to maximise the French national team’s chances of success, a deal will be made with the clubs to increase French representation in the Top 14, thus reducing the proportion of foreign players in the league. Whether this will be able to prevent those players simply going to England for similar wages remains to be seen.
Speaking of the national team, France have been hit and miss for a few years, and World Rugby may see this tournament as an opportunity to try to rebuild the side as a super power. Given the boost home field advantage generally gives host nations (England 2015 notwithstanding), a successful tournament for France could help to reaffirm their place amongst the world’s elite and potentially go some way to loosening New Zealand’s dominance on the world stage. That’s not to suggest for a moment of course that World Rugby would have any official favourites for the tournament itself, but a strong host nation performance is likely to provide a boost for ticket sales and viewing figures. France have the potential to do well, and hosting the tournament may provide extra motivation to do so.
Verdict:
The main strength France have to offer is the sheer amount of money they’re willing to invest in the tournament. None of the other bidders can get close to this amount, and given the government involvement and calculated business investment, it doesn’t seem like the overly fanciful figure it first appeared to be. France also have recent experience of hosting, though this may count against them as World Rugby aims to grow and develop the game globally. Scandals around key figures are only tangential to the bid itself, but if anything else rears its head World Rugby may wish to steer clear just to be on the safe side. The bookies still have France in third place for now, but when the final figures are made clear this may change if the money is too good for World Rugby to ignore.
Comments on RugbyPass
Dear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
218 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
218 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
44 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
15 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
44 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
5 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
7 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
218 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
7 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
7 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
7 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
218 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
44 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
44 Go to comments