With little more than 10 months to go before the tournament is due to kick-off next September, broadcasting income for the competition looks set to exceed £100 million ($159 million/€127.5 million) for the first time – a noteworthy landmark when set against the modest £18.8 million ($30 million/€23.9 million) generated from this source by the iconic 1995 World Cup in South Africa.

England 2015 also looks set to produce a record surplus, outstripping the £122.4 million (£195.3 million/€156.9 million) from France 2007 and £91.6 million ($146.2 million/€117.4 million) from New Zealand four years' later.

This is important for the sport since the World Cup is, as Lapasset has said, the "financial engine" driving rugby's global development.

The sport is also poised, in less then two years' time, to make its Olympic return, in rugby sevens form, at Rio 2016.

The Rugby World Cup 2015 will provide a surplus outstripping those of the France 2007 and New Zealand 2011 tournaments, it is claimed ©Getty Images





Lapasset expects an aggregate 2.3 million spectators to attend next year's World Cup, narrowly exceeding the 2.2 million ticket sales, generating £147 million ($234 million/€188 million) in revenues, achieved by the 2007 competition in his native France.

Revenues generated by the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand included £131 million ($209 million/€168 million) from ticketing, £93 million ($148 million/€119 million) from broadcasting, £29 million ($46 million/€37 million) from sponsorship and £20 million ($32 million/€26 million) of other commercial income.

Tournament fees of £55.6 million ($88.5 million/€70.9 million) also contributed towards the surplus; these are understood to have been raised to £80 million ($127 million/€102 million) for next year's competition.

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