The Irish Rugby Football Union have confirmed that they are considering bidding to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup and have already held preliminary discussions with the Gaelic Athletic Association in relation to the availability of GAA grounds as part of a possible Irish bid.

The IRFU have released a statement explaining that they are looking forward to the GAA's response in due course and have acknowledged that any bid would be heavily dependent on support from the Government and the GAA.

The number of stadia that would be required for the tournament has not yet been decided, but a key element will be to establish the number of locations and venues available before a feasibility study is undertaken to determine Ireland's overall capacity to host the tournament.

IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne said, "The Rugby World Cup in New Zealand showed what a country of four million people could achieve in terms of attracting visitors and showcasing the potential of a country, so an overall Ireland bid is something that the government was keen to discuss with us.

"I think everybody is aware of the benefits from both a social and economic perspective that would come from hosting the third largest sporting event on the globe. "

"We are at the early stages of examining the feasibility of a bid and part of this study is to determine the interest and support of Government and other relevant bodies."