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RWC 2023: How they voted

Cape Town - South African rugby fans were left devastated on Wednesday after losing the right to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup to France.

READ: SA Rugby 'bitterly disappointed' at World Cup snub

READ: Twitter explodes as France awarded RWC 2023

So how did the voting go?

The secret ballot featured 18 countries or regions, each carrying 1, 2 or 3 votes, giving a grand total of 39 votes, making 20 votes the magical majority number to be awarded the tournament.

The three potential candidates - France, South Africa and Ireland - were not permitted a vote.

In the first round of voting, France received 18 votes, South Africa 13 and Ireland 8.

No country thus achieved an overall majority, meaning Ireland were eliminated and a second round of voting took place.

In that second round, France received 24 votes, while South Africa got the remaining 15.

Without knowing who voted for who, something unlikely to ever be revealed, it's clear that of Ireland's 8 votes, only two moved across to South Africa in the second round of voting, while, crucially, the remaining six went France's way.

Breakdown of those countries / regions who voted and the number of votes of each:

Australia (3 votes), England (3), New Zealand (3), Scotland (3), Wales (3), Italy (3), Argentina (3), Canada (1), Japan (2), Georgia (1), Romania (1), USA (1), Asia Rugby (2), Oceania Rugby (2), Rugby Africa (2), Rugby Americas North (2), Rugby Europe (2), Sudamerica Rugby (2)

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