British and Irish parliamentarians lend support to all-island RWC 2023 bid

Irish co-Chair writes to Taoiseach conveying BIPA’s unanimous support

Members of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA) have offered unanimous support for Ireland’s bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup on an all island basis.

Irish Co-Chair of BIPA Frank Feighan TD wrote to the Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD last night to convey the support of an Assembly that comprises representatives from Dublin and Westminster parliaments as well as the legislatures of Belfast, Edinburgh, Cardiff and the Crown dependencies.  

Last week, Deputy Feighan co-chaired the 50th Plenary Meeting, which celebrated 25 years of BIPA, with Westminster MP Laurence Robertson.The Assembly made the decision that ‘the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly supports the all island bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup to be held in Ireland’.

The meeting was opened by Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD in the Seanad Chamber on Monday 23 February, before moving on to the Garden of Remembrance and Croke Park. The power of sport in community cohesion underpinned much of the discussions.

Deputy Feighan says: “I wrote to the Taoiseach last night to direct him to use whatever official avenues are available to support the bid. It is the strong view of the Assembly that hosting such a prestigious event would send a powerful message that sport can play a key role in reconciliation and working together on an all Ireland basis. It also represents a unique opportunity to showcase the island of Ireland internationally to a wide audience.”

Access photos from 50th Plenary session: https://www.flickr.com/photos/oireachtas/sets/72157648692648853/

Follow the BIPA twitter channel for updates: www.twitter.com/BritishIrishPA

Ends
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Notes to eds:

About the Assembly
The Assembly's mission is to promote co-operation between political representatives in Britain and Ireland for the benefit of the people they represent. BIPA’s membership includes representatives from the UK Parliament, the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly, the High Court of Tynwald (Isle of Man) and the States of Guernsey and Jersey.