MELBOURNE: Australia have withdrawn their bid for the 2015 World Cup and may not bid for 2019 due to an “exorbitant” guarantee fee charged by the International Rugby Board, the country’s rugby union chief said yesterday.
Australian Rugby Union (ARU) chief executive John O’Neill said it would be a struggle to find a bank willing to guarantee the £96mil (US$140mil) hosting fee amid the global credit crunch and 10 years in advance of the 2019 World Cup.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.
Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!