At question time on 23 November 2010, the Labour former deputy prime minister claimed that the government was spending 40 times as much helping to attract rugby union's biggest tournament to the UK in 2015 than to secure the rugby league version for 2013.
The British Olympic Association has invited owners of 48 football and rugby grounds across the UK to express an interest in being one of six stadia which could be involved in hosting the Olympic football tournament.
BBC: SPORT | Olympics 2004 | Olympics 2012 | Blair backs Olympic bid
The only address that the UK filed an objection to was .rugby.
Although renowned as a rugby venue, the Cardiff stadium has emerged as the UK's premier venue for staging football finals.
Bill Hogg, the former secretary of the Scottish Rugby Union, is awarded an OBE, as are UK Sport director Liz Nicholl and Football Foundation chief executive Peter Lee.
Rugby League International Federation announced in Singapore on Tuesday that the UK would be the tournament's hosts.
Few sports in the UK have been given the opportunity for growth that is being offered to rugby union in the middle of this decade.
One of the most poignant honours is for Ripley, who played rugby for England and the British Lions, ran the 400m at the UK athletics championships and nearly made it into the Boat Race crew at the age of 50.
The UK suggested the proposals be rejected in favour of a third submission for the suffix from the International Rugby Board.
But New Zealand Rugby Union deputy chief executive Steve Tew said the financial incentives available to All Blacks stars moving to UK and French teams were too good for the players to turn down.
The stadium - built with Millennium funding to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup - is fast emerging as the leading venue for all major footballing competitions in the UK, following the demise of Wembley.
The UK telecoms firm has been investing heavily in its sports offering, including buying the rights to show live Aviva Premiership rugby union matches and a deal with the WTA to show women's tennis.
应用推荐