Croke Park has hosted Ireland in the past © Getty Images

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The Irish Rugby Football Union has moved one step closer to bidding for the 2023 Rugby World Cup following the admission that they have spoken to the Gaelic Athletic Association about the possibility of using some of their stadia.

If they were to bid for the World Cup then alongside rugby strongholds such as Thomond Park and the Aviva Stadium, the IRFU is hopeful that the GAA will grant them permission to use grounds such as Croke Park for their bid.

IRFU chief executive Philip Browne is hopeful that the GAA will grant them access to the stadiums and admits that he is keen on emulating the success of the 2011 World Cup. He 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."