An Irish Rugby World Cup in 2023 is still in contention after World Rugby confirmed that it is now a three-way battle to host the tournament.
The news which was welcomed by a IRFU delegation now means that Ireland will face a fight between France and South Africa to host the tournament in seven years time.
Meanwhile the IRFU say they are confident it “can mount a serious challenge to host the prestigious tournament”, with a spokesperson saying: “We are happy to be in the final phase of candidates after World Rugby deemed our application successful in which we met all the required criteria to host the tournament.”