Ready for the world… next time.

World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper believes Ireland, and other small countries like it, can host future Rugby World Cups thanks to the proposal Ireland put forward to host the 2023 tournament.

He says the financials Ireland put forward were very impressive, with the forecasts beating off the 2015 event held in England.

“My view is Ireland proved a small country can actually host a World Cup,” Gosper told the Times

“Look at the financials they provided for a country of five million people. They were highly competitive. They were sitting in terms of forecast profit area £100 million more than the England World Cup in 2015.

“If you have a nation who is willing to commit to something like a World Cup and underwrite an event that creates the surpluses we are talking about then there is obviously that possibility still.”

In terms of the entire bid process, and the hugely controversial technical review, Gosper has admitted that Bill Beaumont nor Agustín Pichot, respectively the chairman and vice-chairman of World Rugby and RWC Ltd, were happy with the recommendation process.

“There are parts of the process that we will probably change next time,” Gosper added

“I guess the hardest part of the review and the most contentious part of the review was actually providing a recommendation. To be fair on Bill and Gus, when they arrived on the scene . . . they weren’t happy with that.

“Unfortunately it has been a little bit overshadowed by the contradiction or the perceived contradiction by Rugby World Cup board, which looks at it terms of the execution of the tournament, and the council which looks at it in terms of the interests of the unions they are representing.

“I think that contradiction can be explained by the pretty significant distance in the financial end of the French bid. I would be surprised if we move to a recommendation again.”