The support came as International Rugby Board (IRB) president Bernard Lapasset and its chief executive, Mike Miller, met South Africa's Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile and a delegation from the South African Rugby Union (SARU), led by its president, Regan Hoskins, in Cape Town.

 

Countries have until May to make presentations to the international board.

 

England, possibly in a joint bid with Wales, had been seen as the favourites for the 2015 event and last September the SARU had recommended to the Government that they concentrate on trying to win the right to host the 2019 tournament.

 

But since then the Rugby Football Union (RFU) have admitted that they may be forced to withdraw because they cannot guarantee being able to find the £80 million bond that the IRB demand to stage the event.

 

Lapasset said: “We were delighted with the meeting and very pleased with the Government’s expression of support for the SA Rugby Union’s bid.

 

“A tournament of this size - the third-largest sporting event in the world - is not possible without a close partnership between the Government and the rugby union, and we were impressed with the enthusiasm and the support the Government offered.”

 

A report published last October claimed that the Rugby World Cup is estimated to have the potential to generate up to £2.1 billion in economic benefits while capital expenditure costs are among the lowest for an event of this magnitude.

 

 

South Africa memorably hosted and won the 1995 World Cup in an event that help unite the country after the dismantling of apartheid.

 

A bid to host the 2011 World Cup was unsuccessful and the tournament will be played in New Zealand.

 

 

Hoskins said: “The meeting surpassed my expectations and I was very heartened by the Minister’s attitude.

 

"His attitude augurs very well for us and I left the meeting feeling that this was a very important moment for our bid.

 

 

“The Minister stressed that the infrastructure [would] be in place at the stadiums and across the country and that, [because] South Africa [was] a rugby-mad country, [it] would be delighted and honoured to host the World Cup.”

 

Decisions on the host nations for both tournaments will be announced at a meeting in Dublin on July 28.