 Tournaments are organised by Rugby World Cup Ltd ( RWCL ) , which is itself owned by World Rugby . The selection of host is decided by a vote of World Rugby Council members . The voting procedure is managed by a team of independent auditors , and the voting kept secret . The allocation of a tournament to a host nation is now made five or six years prior to the commencement of the event , for example New Zealand were awarded the 2011 event in late 2005 . 
