France willing to break the bank for RWC 2023

French 2023 Rugby World Cup bid leader Claude Atcher has told the media they would be happy to pay World Rugby £30 million more than the £120 million asking price to stage the tournament, which is underwritten by the government.

The selected host nation must pay the tournament organisers an initial fee of £120 million to host the showpiece, but France have flexed their financial power by guaranteeing an added chunk of revenue for the governing body.

“You have to pay a fee to host. It is a minimum. We have proposed not £120 million but £150 million pounds,” France’s bid leader Claude Atcher told RTE.  “This fee is 100 percent guaranteed by the French government.”

The high-profile bid leader has also drawn up plans to provide World Rugby with £350 million for re-investment following the tournament to safeguard the future of international rugby.

“If we don’t do anything, in five to 10 years you will have two, three to four teams on the same level and that’s all, and I think rugby will die,” said Atcher.  

“If we are awarded the World Cup it will accelerate our political changes with the professional championship in France. If we don’t change the rules in five years or 10 years, all South African, Australian and New Zealand players will play in France, in England.

“The best players are not playing for the national team so the results are not as expected by the unions, so it’s very damaging.”

France is vying with Ireland and South Africa to host the 2023 tournament and each nation will make presentations to the voting unions next Monday. The final decision on who will host the tournament will be announced on 15th November.