France confirmed as 2023 Rugby World Cup hosts

France will host the 2023 Rugby World Cup after beating off competition from Ireland and South Africa.

The World Rugby council failed to find a majority in the first round of voting at a secret ballot in London, in which Ireland were eliminated after receiving the fewest number of votes (8 out of 39).

But France received a majority backing (24 of 39 votes) in the second round compared to South Africa’s 15.

South Africa had been recommended as the preferred choice of the sport’s governing body in a 139-page report published two weeks ago.

World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said: “We’ve been fortunate to have three great bids. There’s going to be two countries extremely disappointed.

“Certainly delighted for France. It will be a really exciting tournament.”

France and Ireland had contested the independent evaluation committee’s preference for South Africa and both remained confident of winning the race on Wednesday.

But it was France who proved most persuasive as the voting delegates opted against following the advice to choose South Africa, which hosted the tournament in 1995.

The 2023 tournament follows the 2019 edition, which takes place in Japan.

England hosted the most recent tournament, in 2015, when New Zealand won a second successive title after victory on home soil in 2011.

Beaumont had emphasised the “transparent selection process” before announcing the host, when World Rugby’s member nations went against the recommendation.

The move could be seen as embarrassing for the sport’s world governing body, but Beaumont disputed suggestions the vote made a mockery of the process.

Speaking at a media conference, the Englishman said: “Not really. If you look there wasn’t a great deal between France and South Africa in the evaluation report. It was very close.

“We feel the process has been absolutely transparent. Everyone’s been able to see how the scoring was.”

Beaumont had insisted he would follow the recommendation and the decision has been interpreted as a defeat for the world governing body in some quarters.

Beaumont added: “A humiliation for me? I don’t think so. I don’t think that at all.

“There’s always got to be one recommendation in the evaluation process and that was South Africa.

“Just because it went to France doesn’t mean there’s humiliation whatsoever.”