LONG READ From Buenos Aires to the Andes and Brazil: What a South American RWC might look like

Following the news that Argentina’s bid to host the 2035 Men’s Rugby World Cup has begun to move forward, attention shifts to the reality of what a first South American tournament might look like. The ambitious bid envisions matches played in Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, with Argentina as the lead partner.

World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin visited the region last week to meet with regional leaders, including World Rugby Council member Agustín Pichot and president of the Argentine Rugby Union, Gabriel Travaglini. He made several noteworthy stops, including a meeting with Argentine government officials at the presidential office, the Casa Rosada, underlining the state support behind the bid.

Spain have recently confirmed they are also looking to host the tournament for the first time in 2035, while Japan are looking to bring the tournament back to their shores, having hosted the competition in 2019. There is also tentative interest from Italy, as well as the prospect of a joint bid by several countries in the Middle East, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Formal bids will be submitted in the second half of 2026, before a preferred host is named in May 2027. World Rugby will formally name the host in November 2027.

Argentina are one of the 10 nations to have appeared at every iteration of the Rugby World Cup and have reached the semi-final stage in three of the past five tournaments. Uruguay and Chile will appear at the 2027 World Cup, which will mark their sixth and second appearances respectively. Brazil are yet to qualify for a men’s World Cup, but their women’s team became the first South American side to compete at the Women’s World Cup when they made their debut in England last year.

If the bid is to be successful, World Rugby will need to be satisfied that the region has the necessary infrastructure to support such a large-scale event. This is not only down to stadium capacity, but also factors including transport links, training environments and wider tourist infrastructure.

According to World Rugby, approximately 425,000 international fans travelled to France for the 2023 tournament. In that World Cup, France used nine venues spread across nine cities, while Australia will use eight venues in seven cities for the first ever 24-team World Cup in 2027. With this in mind, RugbyPass has identified eight venues across seven cities that would be the most likely to welcome fans from across the globe in 2035.

Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Known colloquially as the Paris of South America, the Argentine capital is famous for its European-style architecture, its traditional tango bars, and its football-obsessed population. From the organisers’ point of view, it also boasts some of the world’s finest stadiums and two airports. With over five million annual visitors, it also possesses the necessary accommodation to house the hundreds of thousands of fans that would descend on the city.

The current Rugby World Cup attendance record stands at 89,267 and would likely be shattered should the bid be accepted.

While in the city, Gilpin paid a visit to the home of iconic football team, River Plate, the Estadio Mâs Monumental, which hosted the final of the 1978 Football World Cup, won by hosts Argentina.

Having last hosted a rugby match in 2002, when Los Pumas lost 6-17 to Australia, the stadium would surely be earmarked for the final. Already the continent’s largest stadium, renovations will soon start to expand the capacity to an eye-watering 101,000. The current Rugby World Cup attendance record stands at 89,267 and would likely be shattered should the bid be accepted.

With the city likely to host several teams on account of its infrastructure, a second stadium would almost certainly host matches. While it has never hosted rugby before, Boca Juniors’ La Bombanera (‘The Chocolate Box’, as the Estadio Alberto José Armando is known) would be a candidate but the José Amalfitani Stadium would be more likely. The stadium has a capacity of 49,540 and recently was the site of Argentina’s first ever win over New Zealand on home soil in 2025.

Córdoba (Argentina)

Argentina’s second city is home to more than 1.5 million residents and boasts its own distinct culture. The city is home to one of the oldest universities in the continent and it is still a popular student city, with a thriving food and nightlife scene. The city is a short 1.5-hour flight from Buenos Aires, while more ambitious travellers might prefer the eight-hour drive, where they can stop off at a traditional estancia (ranch) for a meal or an overnight stay.

Los Pumas have made a habit of taking home matches around the country in recent years. Last year, they hosted New Zealand in Córdoba’s Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes and will return there for July’s clash with Scotland. With a capacity of 57,000, the stadium is the country’s largest outside of the capital.

Mendoza/San Juan (Argentina)

Located in the far west of the country, both Mendoza and San Juan enjoy views of the Andes mountains and would no doubt prove hugely popular with travelling fans on account of their greatest export: wine. Mendoza alone produces more than 70% of the country’s wine and is the world’s leading region for Malbec. More than 3.5 million tourists flock there every year, ensuring the region has the requisite number of hotels and apartments to handle the influx of rugby fans.

On the stadium front, Los Pumas have recently played against England at the Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario and will return to face Wales in July. With a capacity of 25,000, it would be one of the smaller potential venues and organisers would no doubt enquire about the availability of Mendoza’s Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, which can seat up to 42,000 spectators and has hosted rugby in the past.

Santa Fe (Argentina)

Located some 300 miles north-west of Buenos Aires, the city of Santa Fe is the capital of the province that shares its name, which also includes the city of Rosario, birthplace of a certain Lionel Messi. Situated on the Paraná river, the region is known for its gastronomy, particularly its traditional breweries. On the food front, local specialities include locally sourced fish and their regional spin on the nation’s favourite sweet treat, alfajores santafesinos.

Los Pumas have fond memories of the region, having secured a record win over Australia at Brigadier General Estanislao López Stadium in Santa Fe in 2024. That stadium holds 30,835 fans and there are also two larger stadiums in Rosario.

Given Rosario is located roughly halfway between Santa Fe and Buenos Aires, it is plausible that the city could act as a training base for teams playing pool matches in the other two cities, potentially reducing the likelihood that it hosts a game itself.

Montevideo (Uruguay)

The Uruguayan capital is located on the other side of the Río de la Plata from Buenos Aires and the two are well connected by ferry, in addition to its international airport. More laid back than its Argentine counterpart, the city is known for its 22-kilometer-long shoreline promenade, La Rambla. Away from the city’s long stretches of sandy beach, Montevideo also boasts an impressive Old Town, replete with colonial-style architecture.

Gilpin’s time in the region also saw him visit Montevideo, where he met with leading Uruguayan officials and watched the HSBC SVNS Division 2 event taking place at Charrúa Stadium.

While the scale of a Rugby World Cup would be significantly larger, events like this are crucial when it comes to proving the city has the necessary capacity to host the players, coaches, and support staff in 2035. Charrúa would be too small to host a game, but Gilpin took the time to visit the country’s national stadium, Estadio Centenario, located in the heart of the city with a capacity of 60,235.

Santiago (Chile)

Located west of the Andes, the mountains dominate the skyline of the Chilean capital. The city itself contains a mix of traditional neighbourhoods like the artisanal Barrio Italia and the modern skyscrapers that define the affluent eastern part of the city. With the country boasting one of the longest coastlines in the world, it is no surprise the city is world-renowned for the quality of its seafood.

Chile’s Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos hosted international rugby for the first time in 2024, when Scotland played at the venue in front of a record crowd of 24,878. Given the stadium’s capacity is 48,745, organisers would no doubt expect that record to be broken should the bid be successful.

Another option would be to host a match in the city of Viña del Mar, where Chile defeated Samoa last year to qualify for the 2027 tournament. Located just 90 minutes from Santiago, the coastal city would be a suitable location for one of the teams to be based and could host a game, should Chile be granted multiple venues. In the most likely scenario however, the Estadio Nacional would be the only Chilean venue at the tournament.

São Paulo (Brazil)

The largest city in the entire southern hemisphere, São Paulo is home to more than 22 million inhabitants. The vast urban metropolis is famed for its varied culinary offerings, much of which draws upon the strong Japanese influence in the city. It is also the country’s rugby hub, with more than 50% of Brazil’s clubs based there.

The city’s Super Rugby Americas franchise, Cobras, play their home matches at the 9,660-seater Estádio Nicolau Alayon, but organisers would have their eye on something much larger for the 2035 bid.

Unsurprisingly, given the city’s size and the nation’s love of football, São Paulo has four stadiums that each hold more than 40,000 spectators. One of these, Estádio do Pacaembu, which has previously been considered for rugby use, would appear a natural front-runner to host matches.

Anchored in Argentina but extending beyond it, the tournament would be defined as much by the journey between host cities as the matches themselves.

While the precise make-up of the prospective tournament remains unknown, it is clear the project would offer one of the most expansive and varied Rugby World Cups to date. Spread across multiple countries and climates, it would present a very different proposition to the more compact, single-host editions, asking teams and supporters alike to navigate not just fixtures, but geography.

With interest from across Europe and Asia, and a formal process still to run through to 2027, World Rugby will weigh this bid against a number of established hosts with proven track records. Deliverability, infrastructure and commercial strength will ultimately prove decisive, as they have in previous cycles.

Yet should the South American bid succeed, it would offer something distinct. Anchored in Argentina but extending beyond it, the tournament would be defined as much by the journey between host cities as the matches themselves, from the shores of the Río de la Plata to the foothills of the Andes; from the vineyards of Mendoza to the buzzing streets of São Paulo. In that sense, it would not simply take the Rugby World Cup to a new continent, but continue its gradual evolution into a truly global event.