New Zealand Beats S. Africa, Japan to Host 2011 Rugby World Cup
Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) – New Zealand upset Japan and South Africa to claim the right to stage the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the world’s third-biggest sport’s event by television audience.
New Zealand beat Japan in the final round of voting in Dublin after South Africa was eliminated in the initial stage today. It was the first three-way bidding contest in the 18-year history of the tournament.
New Zealand, which hosted and won the first World Cup in 1987, boasts the world’s top-ranked national team. The 2003 event, which attracted a TV audience of 3.4 billion, was worth $289 million to the Australian economy.
Before today’s vote, New Zealand was rated the 12-1 outsider to host the event with Centrebet, Australia’s biggest online bookmaker. Japan was the 2-5 favorite, with South Africa rated 2-1.
More: bloomberg.com
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