On the same day that the International Rugby Board (IRB) confirmed the three host contestants for the 2011 Rugby World Cup — South Africa, New Zealand and Japan — the South African Football Rugby Union (Sarfu) was warned that full and final government support for the event is not yet guaranteed.
This news came just three days after Sarfu claimed to have received a letter from the government fully endorsing the bid.
In the statement released on Friday, Sarfu president Brian van Rooyen’s personal spokesperson, Andre Bester, said: ”The South African government has given its support to the bid for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The Minister of Sport [and Recreation], Mr Makhenkesi Stofile, presented the bid company, led by former Springbok captain and 1995 World Cup winner Francois Pienaar, with an official letter of support on Friday.
”This letter ends weeks of speculation regarding the government standpoint on bidding to host the Rugby World Cup, and was greeted with relief and pleasure by Pienaar,” Bester said.
However, in another twist to the ongoing saga, Stofile said the next step will be further discussions with the government and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) in another letter sent to Van Rooyen on Tuesday.
The discussions will focus, in part, on what Sarfu must do to continue its bid.
Stofile said that during this period, the union will have to reach agreement with the government and Sascoc on measurable targets for the rugby body.
Sarfu and the relevant government departments will also have to discuss the guarantees envisaged in the World Cup tender.
It seems now, however, that Sarfu and the bid committee will have to continue to fight for the necessary support.
The IRB earlier on Tuesday announced that Japan, New Zealand and South Africa have officially confirmed their intention to tender for the right to host the 2011 event.
Dr Syd Millar, chairperson of the IRB, said: ”This is tremendous news for Rugby World Cup 2011. The fact that three member unions have signalled their intention to tender for the same tournament reflects the growing prestige of [the] Rugby World Cup.”
He commented: ”Japan, New Zealand and South Africa represent three of our five Rugby World Cup qualifying regions, Africa, Oceania and Asia. The growing development and popularity of rugby is highlighted in Japan being the first Asian country to tender for the tournament.”
”The IRB council will ratify and announce the Rugby World Cup 2011 host union in November, six years prior to the tournament. This timetable reflects the scale and nature of the preparatory work in delivering this world class tournament.”
In September 2004, the three unions signed confidentiality agreements and received a tender manual and host union agreement from the IRB. The deadline for written confirmation of intention to tender was midnight on January 31.
The next important date in the tender process is May 13 this year when the three unions will have to submit their tournament tenders to Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL).
In June and July, a team of representatives from RWCL will visit each of the unions to review the respective tenders and proposed venues and facilities.
RWCL will then forward a recommendation to the IRB council for the World Cup 2011 host union.
Both Van Rooyen and Bester were unavailable for further comment, while Bongani Majola — Stofile’s spokesperson — could not be reached.
South Africa last hosted — and won — the Rugby World Cup in 1995. — Sapa