International Rugby Board renews agreement with International Management Board
The International Rugby Board had announced early in 2008 that anyone wishing to host the upcoming World Cup of 2011, 2015 and 2019 should come forward before 15 August 2008. In the beginning, a number of countries applied for the bidding, including Australia, Italy and Russia, but later Australia and Russia withdrew.
The candidates in the race for hosting the upcoming World Cup tried their best to win it, anxiously waiting for the result to be announced. So finally in 2009, after long and tiresome discussions, New Zealand, England and Japan were made the hosts for the upcoming Rugby World Cup.
The Rugby World Cup is considered to be the third largest sport event in the world. The first inaugural match of the World Cup was held in 1987, hosted both by New Zealand and Australia, and the winners were awarded with the William Webb Ellis Cup.
The Rugby World Cup event started in 1987 and has got much fame around the world today. People participate in the game with great interest and then they wait anxiously for the next upcoming event.
The sharp rise in the interest of the people regarding the game is also because of the great performance by countries in the Tri-Nations, who have helped elevate its position to a great extent. The game today has billions of viewers across the globe.
Alongside the performance by the participants and the advertisements, broadcasting of the event also plays a great role in the development and promotion of the game. The broadcasting of the game has increased many folds after the 1980s. Today, around 150 countries can watch rugby matches live without any delay and difficulty.
Similarly, with the course of the time, the investment in the game has also been increased from 32 million pounds in 1995 to 122 million pounds in the 2007 World Cup. The 2011, 2015 and 2019 events are expected to raise the figure higher. Consequently, the growth in surplus, which is going to be invested in the future games, stimulates participation in the tournament.
The Chief Director of the International Rugby Board, Mike Miller, while talking about the long-standing relations between the IRB and International Management Board said, “Rugby World Cup has now firmly established itself as one of the world premier games; and continues to reach out to audience around the globe rapidly; the numbers of participants are increasing day by day”. According to him, all this would not have been possible without vast improvements in communication and broadcasting.
The satisfactory performance and efficient communication by IMB, since IRB agreement with them in 1995, has been helping increase the fame of the game to a great extend around the world. Today, a lot of people are ready to invest in the game, and that is why its surpluses are rising up vertically.
Miller, while announcing the extension of the treaty between the IRB and IMB, said that after observing the IMB team during their stay they appeared to be very experienced and dedicated. He further said that the IRB found them very helpful and cooperative, and are therefore pleased to announce the extension of the agreement between IRB and IMB.
IRB expects that after the renewal of the agreement with IMB, the latter will further enhance their support and help make the game more interesting during the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. IRB also hope that after this agreement the number of rugby fans will increase beyond the current estimates of four billion. They expect the broadcasting coverage to reach 200 nations during the upcoming 2011 Rugby World Cup.
On the other hand, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of the IMB, Julian Brand, termed the relations between the IRB and IMB as a “long standing and proud one.” He said the Rugby World Cup is turning into the largest cup of the world.
Tags: