Japan Officially Bids For Rwc
Japan has officially submitted a bid to host the 2015 or 2019 Rugby World Cup just in time for the deadline, joining England, South Africa and Italy as nations vying for the winning spot to be announced in July.
Should Japan win the bid, it will become the first Asian nation to stage the Rugby World Cup. The continent’s support for the sport has been growing in recent years, with a proposal to play some matches in Hong Kong and Singapore.
After losing the 2011 bid to New Zealand, Japan reportedly challenges England as the favourite, since the next Rugby World Cup will be held in the Southern Hemisphere. Europe remains the logical tournament destination for 2015, with Japan now being the early favourite for 2019.
However, the International Rugby Board’s requirement that the host nation must guarantee an income of £80m for 2015, increasing to £96m for 2019 has signalled criticisms of the England bid.
The new cost requirement hints at a possible shift in where the World Cup will be held in the future, as the Host Nation will carry a larger financial responsibility than before.
