Francois Pienaar, CEO of the Rugby World Cup 2011 bid committee, said on Tuesday that the South African bid process was well on track.
Pienaar, in announcing Southern Sun Hotels as the official hotel supplier for the bid, said that South Africa was ready and most able to host the tournament in 2011.
”The tremendous success of hosting the Rugby World Cup in 1995, the Cricket World Cup in 2003 and being awarded the Soccer World Cup for 2010 proves South Africa’s ability and the world’s confidence in our competence to host world-class sporting events,” said Pienaar.
With Japan and New Zealand also vying for the right to hold the rugby showpiece, chairperson of the SA bid committee, Mtobi Tyamzashe, said that it made sense to hold the cup in South Africa.
”With us holding the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the infrastructure will be in place, the stadiums will be ready, so it’s like getting two world cups for the price of one,” said Tyamzashe. ”We feel that we have a stronger bid than Japan and New Zealand – whereas Japan has the financial muscle and New Zealand have the passion, we have
both.”
Pienaar disagreed that there might be a sympathetic vote for Japan — who would be holding their first cup — and New Zealand, who hosted and won the inaugural tournament in 1987.
”I think it would be very naive if we thought like that,” stressed Pienaar. ”We feel we have the strongest bid and what we’ve got to do now is to convince the countries that have a vote that we have the best proposal.”
Pienaar scoffed at the idea that the international rugby fraternity would deem South African sport bodies as greedy for wanting to host two world cups back to back.
”Greedy, never,” Pienaar said dismissively. ”Look at Australia. They held the Olympics in 2000, the Goodwill Games in 2001, the Lions tour in 2002 and the Rugby World Cup in 2003. The Australians look at it as promoting their country and sport.
”We will be creating 43 000 new jobs and pumping R8-billion into the economy, so I don’t think that can be looked at as greed.”
Pienaar said that the South African bid book would be officially launched on May 11 and the bid committee would make their final presentation to the International Rugby Board (IRB) in November.
The IRB will make a final decision on the host country later in the month. – Sapa