France Outlines Bid To Host 2023 Rugby World Cup

France Outlines Bid To Host 2023 Rugby World Cup

On Feb. 10, the French Rugby Federation (FRF) unveiled a proposal to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup that included a list of 19 potential host cities as well as a green-friendly transportation plan featuring electric buses.

Feb 27, 2017 by John Boothe
France Outlines Bid To Host 2023 Rugby World Cup
A decade after last hosting the World Cup, France has officially launched a bid to land rugby's greatest spectacle in 2023.

On Feb. 10, the French Rugby Federation (FRF) unveiled a proposal that included a list of 19 potential host cities as well as a green-friendly transportation plan featuring electric buses.

"France wants the Rugby World Cup," FRF president Bernard Laporte said. "The France2023 bid is backed by 80 percent of French people. This World Cup will also be that of the 1,895 French rugby clubs. All of rugby will be positively impacted by the 2023 World Cup in France." 

A three-time World Cup runner-up, France previously hosted the tournament in 2007. It was the host site for last year's Euro Championship in soccer and has put forth a bid for Paris to host the 2024 Olympics -- which would take place less than nine months after the World Cup.

France is one of three countries, along with Ireland and South Africa, that is currently vying for the right to host the World Cup. Ireland formally launched its bid in November and has never been the sole host for the tournament, instead sharing duties with France and Great Britain in 1991. South Africa last organised the World Cup in 1995.

Following the FRF's announcement, the French national rugby teams added #France2023 insignias to their uniforms for the Six Nations tournament and HSBC Rugby Sevens Series. 

[tweet url="https://twitter.com/FFRugby/status/830792329938231297" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]

Not to be outdone, Ireland has responded with similar match-day promotions of its own.