IRB move to defuse criticism

Rugby World Cup 2011: The International Rugby Board (IRB) have issued a missive to deflect accusations they snubbed an opportunity to globalise the game by voting that New Zealand host the 2011 World Cup rather than Japan.

Rugby union's governing body came in for fierce criticism about the lack of transparency of the voting procedure. They have sought to defuse the situation by revealing the amount of money they spend on the game globally.

It doesn't answer any of the accusations with regard to the fact the voting to decide the host nation for the 2011 World Cup was taken by a secret ballot. Most of the media anger was directed at the lack of transparency in the process and what was perceived as the IRB's failure to truly globalise the tournament and by extension the game in awarding the tournament to Japan.

The IRB statement read: "Since the announcement of the host union for Rugby World Cup 2011 there has been a lot said and written about the future growth and development of rugby worldwide. The IRB would like to make it very clear that there is in place a fully-funded strategic plan for the development of the game. The IRB is totally committed to making rugby a truly global sport.

"It must be remembered that there is much more to the successful development of rugby worldwide than the awarding of a tournament to a single host nation. It is what happens during the rest of the four-year cycle and beyond that really grows the game."

The IRB reiterated its financial commitment to the game is in excess of £60 million (€87.5 million), including a three-year £30 million (€44 million) strategic investment programme. The IRB plans to invest £1 7 million (€24.8 million) into development programmes for tier two and tier three unions, including investment in high-performance, infrastructure and new tournaments.

"We might not see this development reflected in RWC 2007 but the IRB believes that through its commitment to development and greater competitiveness the game will see significant change in 2011 and beyond," continued the statement.

The Rugby World Cup is considered the third biggest sporting event on the planet - behind the Olympics and soccer World Cup - and in 2007 the IRB estimate two million spectators will attend the tournament and up to four billion to watch on television.

Japan argued the success of the 2002 soccer World Cup, co-hosted with South Korea, proved how lucrative the Asian market could be for rugby. But the IRB do not yet believe the sport is ready to broaden its frontiers for the event yet. "The Rugby World Cup has enjoyed wonderful growth in its relatively short history but it must be recognised that other events such as the Olympics and soccer World Cup are far more established, and it took Fifa 60 years to move its premier event out of its South American and European strongholds," it said.