Hants RFU presidents welcome World Cup matches at St Mary’s (From Daily Echo)

Hants RFU presidents welcome World Cup matches at St Mary’s

11:01am Saturday 16th May 2009 in

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PAST and present Hampshire RFU presidents have expressed their delight at World Cup games potentially coming to Southampton, writes SIMON CARTER.

The Daily Echo revealed earlier this week that St Mary’s was among the stadiums chosen by the English RFU to stage games should their 2015 World Cup bid prove successful.

Japan, South Africa and Italy are also bidding with the winners being chosen in July.

Current county president Mike Glogg said: “It would be great for the area, particularly in growing the interest in the game among the younger players.

“They would need to get the pricing structure right because in terms of trying to meet the IRB’s revenue threshold they will probably need most of the stadiums to be virtually full for all the games.

“Saracens have recently shown that if you price the games right you will get good attendances.

“I am sure the English bid was very well presented, as it was the last time we bid for the World Cup.

“There is an argument put forward that it would be good for the worldwide game if the tournament was held in Japan.

“I read an online paper called ‘Putting Rugby First’ published a while ago which was critical of the IRB for taking the easy option and choosing France to host the last World Cup in 2007 when it should have gone to Japan.

“It was a very well argued document.

Former president Jed Stone said: “The World Cup coming to St Mary’s would be a huge boost for Hampshire and Southampton.

“It’s strange that a city the size of Southampton has such a relatively small rugby pool. No-one seems to know why that is.

“As a county Hampshire suffers from not having any top flight clubs and only a handful of National League clubs.”

The football World Cup has recently gone totally global by being staged in the Far East (Japan and Korea) for the first time in 2002, and next year it will be held in South Africa for the first time.

Stone said rugby should do something similar.

“My personal opinion is that it should go to Japan in terms of benefiting the game worldwide,” he said.

“Considering New Zealand will host it in 2011 I don’t think it will go to a Southern Hemisphere nation.

“South Africa have held it (in 1995) since we last held it in 1991.

“Italy would be an interesting choice as they’ve never staged it there before.

“It’s a hugely expensive exercise hosting the tournament, but the cost benefit would be well worth it.”