No decision on MacHale Park for Rugby World Cup

Decision on MacHale Park for Rugby World Cup yet to be taken


Anton McNulty

THE decision on whether MacHale Park will be used as a venue in Ireland’s bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup will not be made for a number of years according to the Connacht GAA Council Secretary.
Last week the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) formally launched its bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2023 with the support of the GAA to provide a number of stadia including Croke Park.
It is expected that up to eleven stadiums will be needed for the bid with the IRFU providing the Aviva Stadium and RDS in Dublin, Thomand Park in Limerick and Ravenhill in Belfast.
MacHale Park has been put forward by the GAA as a possible venue but according to John Prenty, the Connacht GAA Council Secretary it will be a couple of years before any decision is made.
“No decision has been taken yet,” the Ballyhaunis clubman told The Mayo News. “I’d say it will be a couple of years down the road … the bid is only being put together now and we will see where that will take us.
“They are looking at both MacHale Park and Pearse Stadium in Connacht and they are considering using both stadiums. There will be six or seven GAA stadiums including Croke Park used for the World Cup but the decision on which will be used won’t be taken in the short-term,” he said.
MacHale Park has a capacity of up to 38,000 spectators and was recently developed with a new 10,000 all seater stand with new media facilities and floodlights. The four other GAA stadiums most likely to be made available are PΡirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork and Casement Park in Belfast which are likely to be redeveloped by 2023 along with the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick and Semple Stadium in Thurles.
The Rugby World Cup is considered the third largest sporting tournament after the Football World Cup and Olympics and hosting games will bring a financial windfall for any host town or city.
The next two Rugby World Cups take place in England in 2015 and in Japan in 2019 and the decision who will host the 2023 tournament will be made in mid 2017. However, Ireland faces stiff competition if they are to bring the tournament to these shores with South Africa awnd the USA also expected to bid.
South Africa are considered the favourites to host the tournament they previously held in 1995. They successfully hosted the 2010 Football World Cup and have all the stadiums and infrastructure in place to hold the rugby equivalent.