Trans-Tasman rugby relations continued to plummet as Australian Rugby Union managing director John O'Neill flew out to Dublin to present the ARU's final 2003 World Cup bid to the International Rugby Board.

O'Neill said the ARU would not provide $10 million compensation if a last-ditch New Zealand Rugby Football Union bid to co-host the event was successful. The offer was made after the NZRFU said it would lose $5.6 million as sub-host in the original agreement.

"Our view is of the 8th March everything is off the table so any concessions, any compromises, any subsidies that were part of the previous bid involving Australia and New Zealand disappeared on that day and will not be put back on the table," O'Neill said.

The NZRFU had its invitation to co-host the tournament withdrawn after it failed to satisfy Rugby World Cup Ltd guidelines to provide "clean stadia" for sponsorship purposes. The ARU was then asked to submit its own bid.

Since then the sniping between the ARU and the NZRFU and the IRB and NZRFU has grown at a steady rate.

The NZRFU today finally guaranteed "clean stadia". And it is now pinning its hopes on tradition overcoming the power of the dollar and hopes to present its case to the Rugby World Cup board, a subsidiary of the IRB, before the IRB council meeting.

The ARU's sole bid has already been approved by the RWC board, but requires ratification from the 21-man council before Australia gets the green light for the 48-match tournament.

O'Neill also attacked alleged political lobbying by New Zealand to convince France to vote against the Australian bid. O'Neill said he was contacted by IRB sources who told him New Zealand's political manoeuvring had "borne fruit" in France.

"We're very disappointed with that news," O'Neill said. "The simple policy of the ARU board is that sport and politics should not be mixed. Delegates should be able to vote on the merits of the case rather than under instruction, particularly from governments."

New Zealand Sports Minister Trevor Mallard strongly denied O'Neill's claims.

"It is not true and I think it's a good idea for the Australian Rugby Union to get their facts straight," Mallard said.