The International Rugby Board (IRB) insisted today that Australia were still confirmed as co-hosts with New Zealand for the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup, despite the decision of the Australian government to refuse entry visas to the Fiji team for the Brisbane World Sevens Series competition in February.
That move led the IRB to strip the tournament of its official status, prompting fears that they could move the World Cup to the United Kingdom unless the Australian government reverses a stance taken in the wake of last year's military coup in Fiji.
However, IRB spokeswoman Michelle Treacy said the Brisbane decision did not mean they were about to remove the World Cup competition from Australia. "That's not something we have ever said. We have no contingency plans for 2003."
This statement contradicted an earlier assertion from New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) chairman Murray McCaw. He said the IRB was "seeking urgent clarification from the Australian government, and the Australian Rugby Union (ARU), as to the impact of their stance on the 2003 Rugby World Cup."
McCaw's words angered ARU chief executive John O'Neill, who earlier today described them as "provocative, inflammatory and quite unnecessary".
"We have received no indication that the IRB is seeking 'urgent clarification' from either our federal government or ourselves about Rugby World Cup 2003," O'Neill said.
O'Neill is believed to have spoken about the McCaw comments with NZRU chief executive David Rutherford.
The IRB, announcing its decision to take approval away from the Brisbane Sevens on February 16th-17th, acknowledged that the decision to exclude Fiji had been made by the Australian government rather than the ARU.
It also praised "the efforts made by the ARU to persuade the Australian government to lift the ban."
Australia imposed the ban as part of sanctions against Fiji following last year's coup.
New Zealand also imposed sporting sanctions against Fiji but changed its stance in November when it announced that an exception would be made for the Fiji Sevens team to compete in Wellington on February 8th-9th.
The reasons given were that the Wellington tournament was part of a world circuit, the invitations were not made by the NZRFU, and New Zealand could be stripped of the event if visas were withheld from the Fijians.- AFP