They could face opposition from Australia, Italy, Japan and South Africa.

 

But, unlike Ireland, Scotland and Wales, England have not expressed an interest in hosting the 2019 World Cup if they fail with their bid for 2015. 

 

There is an encouraging sign of the growing popularity of the sport with Jamaica and Russia having contacted the International Rugby Board (IRB) about staging the 2019 event.

 

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: "This is tremendous news for Rugby World Cup.

 

"The fact that 10 Member Unions have signalled their intention to tender for the 2015 and 2019 tournaments reflects the growing global prestige of the Rugby World Cup.

 

"Five of the six IRB regions are represented, with Italy, Jamaica and Russia signalling an interest to tender for a Rugby World Cup for the first time.

 

"Such a response highlights the growing development and popularity of Rugby across the world.

 

"The strong response also justifies the IRB’s move to award two tournaments at the same time. This provides longer term certainty for the hosts, Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) and the tournament’s commercial partners.

 

"It also ensures that future development investment initiatives in the Game worldwide can continue to be underwritten by the tournament and planned accordingly.

 

“The IRB Council will announce the RWC 2015 and 2019 host Unions in July 2009, six years prior to the first tournament and 10 years prior to the 2019 event.

 

"This timetable reflects the scale and nature of the preparatory work in delivering this world class tournament.

 

The bidders now have until May 8, 2009 to submit their detailed tender responses to RWCL.

 

The responses will then be reviewed by RWCL before the Tender Unions will be invited to make a presentation to the IRB Council in May 2009.

 

The host nations for World Cup 2015 and World Cup 2019 will be selected at a special meeting of the IRB Council on July 28, 2009.

 

The last World Cup 2007 in France was the most successful tournament, generating a record net surplus of £122.4 million with 2.2 million tickets sold.

 

The 2003 event in Australia had generated a net surplus of £64.3 million.