Milan's San Siro has been included as a host venue in Italy's Rugby World Cup bid © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

News: England and Japan receive RWC boost

News: RWC bid could help football hopes

News: RFU promises biggest RWC in history

News: South Africa put forward compelling RWC bid

Players/Officials: John Kirwan

Tournaments/Tours: Rugby World Cup

Teams: Italy | Japan

Italy's bid for the 2015 Rugby World Cup contained unanimous support from the country's government, who have pledged to underwrite the £80m tournament fee and have also signed over all of the country's Seria A football stadia for use in the tournament.

Milan's San Siro will host a Test between the All Blacks and Italy this November with the idea to spread the focus of rugby away from the Stadio Flaminio in Rome. The bid also contains plans to host games at the San Siro and Juventus' Stadio delle Alpi.

The final of the competition will be hosted in Rome's Olympic Stadium, the setting for the 2009 Champions League football final between Manchester United and Barcelona.

"As a rugby man, that was like music to my ears," said Andrea Rinaldo, president of Padova and member of the Italian delegation. "We can count on a full political support, and on a Country which has no equals for beauty, history, arts, commitment to the great sporting events.

"The Italian Rugby World Cup will envolve the entire country, from North to South, landing in nine great venues and ensuring a successfull transfer of knowledge from the 2007 French experience involving the city of Marseille as well. A forty-days-long celebration that will be translated into great harmony, popular participation and, as consequence, great business opportunities, and a great atmosphere of conviviality for the tournament"

Japan's bid for the tournament presented a "tender for Asia" which included a plan to host a pool split between Singapore and Hong Kong. Japan had been tipped to host the 2011 tournament but lost out to New Zealand in what many commentators saw as a mistake from the IRB, but Japans' union president Nobby Mashimo believes that their disappointment helped them to return a stronger bid on this occasion.

"To have a World Cup in Asia would be a great leap forward for world rugby," said Japanese Rugby Union president Nobby Mashimo. "Our message to the IRB council members is that 60% of the world's population lives in Asia and with 26 unions it could fire rugby. It could lead to a new stage, new possibilities and a new power."

Japan's coach John Kirwan won the inaugural Rugby World Cup with New Zealand in 1987 and believes that the time is now right for the game to be spread to Asia instead of reinforcing the traditional power bases in Europe and the southern hemisphere.

"We believe it is time to open up our great game," he said.