Rugby World Cup 2023 - The Host with the Most (Money)

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When the East Great Falls High School, class of '99 wanted a host for their prom party, they selected one Steve Stiffler to organise the most prestigious of soirées. At this stage, for the sake of my tenuous analogy, I ask you not to focus on the police involvement at the aforementioned shindig. Instead, think of the good times, the laughter. Putting on Blink 182 at this point is optional.

In selecting France to host the 2023, The World Rugby Council, simultaneously shunned the offer of Rugby's party protagonist. South Africa, this is not you.

Ireland - my comparison of you lot with the Stiffmeister is not meant in a derogatory manner - endearing if anything. Bear with me.

Before continuing, I will mitigate the hate from those supporting either of the opposing bids. I'm sure that France will host and South Africa would've hosted phenomenal sporting events. I have fond memories of both the 2007 Rugby World Cup and 2009 Lions tour. When it comes to pre/post match, the mass Braai in the fields that surround, King's park, Durban, or Beers by the waterfront in Marseille are as good is it gets.

Ireland deserved to host this tournament. I say that as a Rugby fan. Not as an expert consultant, tasked with ranking the bids, after spending hour upon hour reviewing quantitative and qualitative data, on aspects such as safety, infrastructure and commercial viability.

My supporting data, if you can call it data, is very much derived from personal experience, and as such infinitely more difficult to frame in a spreadsheet or PowerPoint slide. I will dispense of these experiences, now. 

It is the mass of Irish fans not only braving the rain but singing in it, as they sat way up in the cheap seats, if such a thing exists these days, of Eden Park's scaffold stand watching their boys in Green take the scalp of then Tri Nations Champions, Australia at RWC 2011. Some atmosphere that night.

It is the sea of Green who took to the streets and bars of Wellington prior to the 2011 Quarter Final against Wales. Particularly the faction who followed a Green suited leader, whose tri coloured ghetto blaster pumped tunes that ranged from The Pogues to Bewitched. Don't mention the result!

It is the Irish voices in the Millennium Stadium, belting out The Fields of Athenry as The All Blacks cantered home against the French, the night prior to the Irish's own Cardiff based elimination clash. Who else does that. Admittedly, there were a few dusty heads the following afternoon as the Argentinian's put on a proper show to end Ireland's hopes in the 2015 edition. Side note - please can we have Argentina 2027. The bid content should focus heavily on red meat and Malbec.

When it comes to support and the ability to create an atmosphere, Irish Rugby fans have been putting 'not here to take part, here to take over' into practice, long before their punchy countryman coined the phrase. 

Ye, so that's the crux of it. For mine, there is nothing more important than supporter experience when it comes to selecting the host nation. In reality, cash is king. My premise for Ireland hosting the 2023 Rugby World Cup is that their fans have put sufficient groundwork, not to mention coin, into prior events, to the point that they have earned the right to open the doors of their humble abode and welcome the rest of the Rugby World to their own party. Can you imagine it....scenes on toast. As it is, I will just have to satisfy myself with the counter factual that Ireland 2023 was the greatest party that never was. Sad face

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