The Welsh Rugby Union is delighted to announce that the Millennium Stadium will stage four matches in the 2007 Rugby World Cup following the comprehensive victory by France in their bid to host the tournament.
The French bid received 18 of the 22 votes, including two from Wales, as they overcame England to secure the right to host the IRB governed Rugby World Cup for the first time.
“We are very pleased with the outcome of the vote because we feel the French solution answers all our rugby questions and will address all our financial issues,” said WRU chief executive David Moffett.
“We were very conscious of the needs of our fans and are delighted that the Millennium Stadium will host three pool matches and a quarter-final.
“The Millennium Stadium hosted seven games in the 1999 Rugby World Cup tournament, including the Final and the old Cardiff Arms Park staged four games in the 1991 tournament hosted by England, including the third-placed play-off match.
“The French Rugby Union are to be commended for completely honouring the deal we struck with them as host Union in 1999, when the WRU agreed to share the matches and profit from the tournament with England, Scotland, Ireland and France.
“While the French received around £4 Million from the profit share scheme we set up, the projections being made in the French bid for 2007 look likely to net the WRU a near £7 Million return.
“Glanmor Griffiths, the chairman of the WRU board of directors, was the man who did the deal with the other unions in 1999 and his astute financial projections look like bringing a rich return to the WRU.
“The WRU wishes its French counterparts, the FFR, all the very best for 2007.”
