(ATR) South African Minister of Sport and Recreation Thulas Nxesi says hosting the 2023 Rugby World Cup would generate as much impact as the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
South Africa is one of three countries bidding for the 2023 flagship rugby tournament, along with France and Ireland. A decision on the tournament’s host will come in November.
Nxesi toured the offices of South Africa Rugby to meet with bid leaders earlier this week, according to the local reports. It was his first visit to a national sporting federation. South Africa’s previous sports minister discouraged federations from bidding for international events outside of the Olympic Games.
After his visit Nxesi said that the social impact from hosting the Rugby World Cup would rival that of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
"In terms of nation building, we saw both black and white in the stands supporting Bafana Bafana and enjoying the football," Nxesi said. "The legacy of that tournament, among black and white, is very important. A big part of that legacy is the stadia which were built which means that we have the necessary infrastructure in place already and we don’t have to start from scratch."
Nxesi said that rugby is "very important" to the sporting landscape of the country, and hoped the team rebounds on the international stage.
Paris 2024 Stamp Book
Olympic fans and collectors can rejoice at the latest Paris 2024 collectible. French citizens can also use it in day to day life.
A new stamp book produced by La Poste features the Paris 2024 and France 2025 World Expo logos. The stamps feature Marianne Rouge and come in books of 12 for the cost of $11.19 (€10.20).
Written by Aaron Bauer
25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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