1
'Green light' given for Australia to host Rugby World Cup
Australia has effectively been given the green light to stage the 2027 Rugby World Cup after being listed by the governing body as the “preferred candidate” to host the global tournament.
ADVERTISEMENT
In a new approach to the hosting selection process, the World Rugby council has created a ‘preferred candidate’ phase in which Australia was granted exclusivity to work with the governing body to host the global event for the first time since 2003.
England was given similar backing on Wednesday to host the 2025 women’s Rugby World Cup.
Australia had been in a contest with the United States to stage the 2027 men’s event but the council has effectively ruled out any duel by now indicating that the 2031 event is likely to go the US.
The council said an “exclusive targeted dialogue” would continue with the US in regard to hosting the 2031 tournament and also a women’s edition at some point in the future.
The final hosting rights will be awarded by the council in May next year, World Rugby added, but Wednesday’s decision effectively means Australia can forge ahead with its plans for one of the world’s biggest sports events in six years’ time.
“We’re, lets say, 90 or 95 per cent of the way there,” bid director and two-time World Cup-winning Wallabies hooker Phil Kearns said.
“We’re in the 75th minute of the game and we’re leading and don’t want to let it go.”
Rugby Australia Chairman Hamish McLennan described it as a “a once-in-a-generation opportunity” that should eliminate the code’s financial woes and, according to RA boss Andy Marinos “reset the commercial landscape” for the sport.
ADVERTISEMENT
Kearns said as many as 16 venues had been earmarked, but only “eight to 10” – to be determined after May’s final decision – would be used for games under World Rugby guidelines.
Many more locations in all corners of the country would be used as training bases though, with “art, wine and food trails” among the lures set to attract tourists seeking more from their experience than rugby.
The announcement comes six months after Australia formally launched its bid, which sparked a series of community events across the country.
A host of current and former Wallabies as well as key business and political influencers have backed the bid, while a delegation toured during the Wallabies’ Spring Tour of the United Kingdom to effectively seal the deal.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 2027 event is projected to attract more than two million people across seven weeks of competition, including 200,000 international visitors, and generate a $2.5 billion boost for the economy.
Organisers said it will create 13,300 jobs and stimulate $500 million in new trade and investment.
“It’s a huge economic benefit for the nation and I’m thrilled rugby can drive that,” Kearns said.
“It potentially secures financially the future of rugby for a long, long time in this country.
“After the trials and tribulations of the pandemic they (World Rugby) were looking for something solid, and we’re solid.”
The next women’s Rugby World Cup was postponed until next year in New Zealand due to COVID-19.
The next men’s tournament will be held in France in 2023 with the Wallabies set to play on home soil again in the 2027 edition – 24 years since the hosts reached the 2003 final in Sydney.
It promises to be an exciting period for the sport in Australia, with a British & Irish Lions tour in 2025 and the World Cup in 2027 a prelude to an Olympics in Brisbane in 2032.
Comments on RugbyPass
Will rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
2 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
2 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
28 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
2 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
3 Go to comments