ARU scraps World Cup bid but plans Tokyo Bledisloe Test

The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has withdrawn its bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup due to the "exorbitant" guarantee fee charged by the International Rugby Board (IRB).
ARU Chief Executive John O'Neill added that Australia, who hosted the tournament in 2003 - may not bid for 2019 either as it would be a struggle to find a bank guarantee to cover the US $140 million IRB hosting fee.
"We won't bid for 2015�?, OâNeill stated yesterday to the Australian Associated Press, adding âwe're working on a bid for 2019, but I've got to say the numbers are horrendously difficult to justify with that level of tournament fee. As a board, because we're a public company, our directors are saying 'well that's a contingent liability we would have to carry on our balance sheet and a bank isn't going to guarantee it'."
Australia, along with England, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, confirmed their intention to bid for the 2015 World Cup last year.
England has also said its bid could be in jeopardy because of the difficulty of making the up-front payment, due to the global financial crisis and despite pledged support from the UK Government.
However, Japanese officials have said the crisis would not affect their bid. The IRB will make its decision on the host nation for both the 2015 and 2019 tournaments on 28th July.
The ARU has also revealed that it is close to securing a fourth Bledisloe Cup Test in Tokyo and a rare Wallabies grand slam tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland later this year.
John O'Neill yesterday advised that negotiations on both projects were well advanced and that he hoped they could be announced before the end of the month.
The mooted fourth 2009 Bledisloe Cup Test between the Qantas Wallabies and All Blacks would take place in Tokyo on 31st October with the Wallabies en route to Europe for their spring tour. The Tokyo Bledisloe Cup test would follow the final Bledisloe Cup game of 2008 having been staged in Hong Kong.
O'Neill added that the ARU was in talks to add a Test against England to the Qantas Wallabies' scheduled November clashes with Wales, Ireland and Scotland.
That would make it the first 'grand slam' tour since the Qantas Wallabies won all four matches under coach Alan Jones in 1984.