SARFU chief executive Rhian Oberholzer has warned World Cup organisers in Australia of the possible threat of strike action disprupting the tournament.

Oberholzer headed up the organising team for the 1995 World Cup in the republic and issued his warning via The Daily Telegraph.

"You can have a situation where, because this is a world event, you get all different unions wanting to use the tournament as a way of bargaining themselves a better position," he told the newspaper.

"In 1995, we had the threat of pilots going on strike, of a police go slow, of air traffic controllers warning they would walk off the job.

"We had a lot of scares, a lot of negotiations. In the end there were no problems. It's a matter of talking to these unions, making sure everybody supports your bid to stage a successful World Cup. A matter of stressing how important the tournament can be to the entire country.

"Certainly for South Africa in 1995, the World Cup did more for unification than any political party. The idea of a Rainbow Nation really came to the fore.

Oberholzer also told how 30,000 overseas tourists bought official travel packages to be at the 1995 tournament. He estimates another 10,000 made their own way to the country and stayed with friends or relatives.

He said the impact on the economy was staggering, from the boon for the taxi, hotel and restaurant sectors to less definable advantages like general goodwill that ensured future lifts in tourism.

"The benefits are not just rugby related," he said. "And we know what a good job the Australians will do. We saw it at the Olympic Games.

"This will be the best ever World Cup. I believe South Africa set a benchmark for the tournament in 1995, but Australia will stage an even greater event."