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Ewan MacKenna: Leo Varadkar is playing politics with his talk of hosting the Rugby World Cup, an event that could give our economy a real mauling.

Ireland's Jamie Heaslip scores a try against France in the Six Nations earlier this year, but can success on the field really translate into the hosting of a World Cup? Picture: Peter Muhly/Getty

Last Monday, Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar announced that Ireland would bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but so baffling were his words that the major difficulty is in where to start picking holes. Years after a wrecking ball was taken to the Bertie Bowl concept, we suddenly realise that the same mentality is still somehow standing strong. We'll let you decide exactly where to lay the blame here.

Distraction governance, as ...