Ireland transformed itself on the field of play from a battling underdog to serious contender for global honours and is intent on making the self-same conversion in its bid to host the 2023 Rugby Wold Cup for the first time ahead of more seasoned performers in France and South Africa.

Those that thought the country’s initial selling point of Guinness and charm might fade as the team itself once used to do after an hour of spirited endeavour have been roundly disabused of such a notion with organisers promising to deliver record revenues for World Rugby following unprecedented government backing for the RWC host tournament fee to the tune of £120million.

There are more monies to project on top of that base figure, and there will have to be if France are to be trumped for they have promised to put £350million into the coffers of World Rugby if they were to be granted the tournament for the second time as a stand-alone host following the success of the 2007 event.

Indeed the French director of their bid, Claude Atcher, believes that ‘international rugby will die,’ unless there is significant investment to bolster ailing unions in the southern hemisphere who are recording £2-3million loses and are pillaged by the French and English clubs. France’s pitch to World Rugby is based squarely on the notion that the riches it believes it can generate will help redress the balance in the hemispheres.

“We have a responsibility to support the development of rugby in the world,” said Atcher. “In the last ten years the FFR (Federation Francaise de Rugby) did not look after international rugby, just French rugby.”

France are offering more money than Ireland credit: AFP

France’s altruistic stance sounds fine, as do all the claims at this stage from all the contenders, promising largesse as well as legacy. As, of course, might well they do. South Africa’s 1995 Rugby World Cup spawned The Rainbow Nation, not to mention a Hollywood film. Its bid, although now given the stamp of approval by the government after it lifted a ban on the governing body bidding, falls hostage to the level of uncertainty in the country. France and Ireland are rock-solid in that regard, even with the spectre of Brexit.

The Irish was always likely to hold appeal for its sense of fun, a six-week oval ball hooley, but the awarding of these events inevitably comes down to hard cash and horse-trading politics.

France know that only too well, promising huge sums of money, offering more tickets, (2.5million to Ireland’s 2.2m) and it knows its way round the committee rooms to garner votes with the contentious figure of former France coach and one-time Minister of Sport, Bernard Laporte as one of the architects of their proposal despite being investigated for federation practises back in France.

The French bid is roundly based on the self-same principles that proved such a hit when they staged the tournament in 2007, enhanced these days by five new venues on the roster, largely as a result of the multi-billion upgrade sanctioned for Euro 2016.

Ireland would offer a fun tournament but is that enough? credit: Getty images

Ireland have gone to great lengths to put together a package that is commercially risk-free thanks to government endorsement, the first time that any such up-front investment has been made by a government. The tournament fee in 2015 was £80million. There was another £13million generated on top of that, divided among various unions and World Rugby. The RFU reported a £26million surplus.

Ireland have pledged to outstrip that, thereby removing the one charge that could be held against them, that they were commercially under-clubbed. Any putative disadvantage has been offset by the government involvement in Ireland as well as by their intention to draw on the Irish diaspora of 70 million and the business opportunities that might entail. There are 40 million of Irish descent in America alone and soundings from various corporations there indicate that there is plenty of interest in investment.

Those fears of a financial downturn for World Rugby if Ireland were to get the nod have been allayed. There are all sorts of figures bandied about at this stage in bid processes as the competing parties jockey for favour but the essential attraction has to come down to more than mere pounds, shillings and pence. Once revenues have been guaranteed, so be it.

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Ireland’s appeal is holistic. This is a bid that represents the entire Irish community, wherever it might be. Hence the government endorsement.

“This is about the island of Ireland,” said Bid director, Kevin Potts.

North and South, rugby and GAA, kindred spirits united in the one aim. Five of the eight stadiums are GAA owned, topped off by the 82,300 Croke Park citadel which would stage the final as well as knockout matches.

If there is one single action that the Irish organisers have managed to bring about, a legally-binding agreement with hoteliers that they will not increase prices beyond a 20% margin from 2021 rates, it will raise a cheer worldwide for too many have been ripped off for too long in that regard. Ireland expects 445,00 visitors from overseas and promises that 30% of tickets will cost less than in RWC 2015 in England with the cheapest at 15 euro.

As Japan 2019 represents a tangible point of difference, so too in its way does Ireland, small but perfectly formed, determined to punch above its weight. And to have fun doing so.