Aussies' sole hosting plan gets warm welcome from RWC

7.45am

New Zealand's chances of co-hosting next year's Rugby World Cup appeared worse than ever after Australia's sole host bid received a warm welcome from Rugby World Cup (RWC) officials overnight.

The Australian Rugby Union's preliminary presentation at a secretive meeting in Newport, Wales, reportedly impressed members of the RWC Limited board.

RWCL officials will take their recommendation to an International Rugby Board meeting in Dublin on April 12 where a final decision on the staging of the tournament will be made.

RWCL released a statement which suggested the New Zealand Rugby Football Union may have lost their chance when they placed conditions on the tournament sub-host agreement two weeks ago. Those conditions saw their invitation to co-host the tournament withdrawn.

The ARU still had a week remaining in their three-week period granted by the RWCL to prepare a full proposal as sole hosts, the statement said.

"Discussions will continue between the executive staff of both organisations and RWCL is confident that negotiations can be finalised within the time frame of the 21 days," it said.

"Following this, the board of RWCL will review the position in detail and will, in accordance with established practice, submit its recommendations to the IRB council."

A further statement would be made on Friday morning (NZ time) following more talks between the ARU and the RWLC.

ARU managing director John O'Neill emerged from the meeting confident his union could comply with stipulations that all stadia are free of advertising and existing contracts with caterers and corporate box holders.

"I think it has gone very well, I am quietly confident," O'Neill told Reuters.

"We presented an entire tournament schedule with all the 48 matches being held in Australia ... I think the proposal was very attractive. The financial results were significantly better than they were with New Zealand.

"Australia is capable of holding the tournament on its own. The match schedule takes the games all over Australia.

"We were extremely happy with the reception we received and foresee no obstacles to a successful conclusion to our negotiations next week."

IRB spokesman Chris Rea said the NZRFU would have no opportunity to put their case forward over the next week.

"This is an exclusive period of negotiation between the ARU and Rugby World Cup," Rea told Radio Sport.

"The executive staff of the two organisations are working together to complete things within the time frame.

"The discussions (today) were wide-ranging and New Zealand certainly was discussed."

O'Neill, the ARU's World Cup general manager Matt Carroll and its lawyer Peter Friend presented what they called a "compelling" proposal to the RWCL board.

The board is chaired by IRB chairman Vernon Pugh and consists of New Zealander Rob Fisher, South Africa's Rian Oberholzer, Malcolm Phillips from England and French representative Jacques Laurans.

- NZPA