Australia secures Rugby World Cup 2027 and 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup

The World Rugby Council voted Thursday night (AEST) for Australia to be the official host nation of the Rugby World Cup 2027 and the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Rugby Australia Chairman Hamish McLennan along with Chief Executive Andy Marinos, 2027 bid team chief Phil Kearns, bid executive Anthony French and RA board member Pip Marlow were all in Dublin to hear the news.

Kearns enthused “this is amazing for Australian rugby. We’ve got a huge opportunity. There’s been some negativity around our game in Australia for a while now but that stops right here. This is the day it stops and it’s all upwards for Australia. We’re going to show our whole country off.”

McLennan added: “What we’ve always wanted is a light on the hill that will enable us to plan for the sport. The interest we’ve had from country regions and non-core rugby states has been fantastic.”

Three venues are in the running to host the 2027 World Cup final: Optus Stadium in Perth, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Accor Stadium in Sydney with Queensland Tourism and Sport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe noting that the Queensland Government is working closely with World Rugby and Rugby Australia.

Minister Hinchliffe congratulated Rugby Australia on securing twin World Cups and added “this is a terrific result for Australia and hopefully Queensland.

“Queensland has the world’s best rectangular stadium in Suncorp Stadium, which is also a happy hunting ground for the Wallabies.   

“We have a first-class stadium in Townsville and a National Rugby Training Centre of Excellence under construction at Queensland Rugby’s spiritual home, Ballymore.  

“The World Rugby Council vote confirms Australia as host nation for the 2027 and 2029 World Cups with host states and cities yet to be decided….we’re in a good position to lock in quality World Cup games for Queensland.”

Rugby Australia forecasts the dual World Cups will have a massive benefit to not only Australian rugby, but the Australian economy. Bid documents project over 217,000 international visitors and more than two million people attending the matches.

According to Rugby Australia, the global audience for the tournaments will be four billion people, and the forecasted financial output, both direct and indirect, is $2.7 billion.

The 2027 World Cup will feature 20 nations and 48 matches over seven weeks and be played at between eight and 10 venues. Dates and locations will be finalised by the end of the year and there will be huge interest in the decision of World Rugby, as advised by Rugby Australia, about where the finals will be staged.

Queensland Rugby Union Chief Executive David Hanham said Australia was looking forward to a golden decade of Rugby adding “Hosting Rugby World Cups in 2027 and 2029 cements an incredible runway of Rugby events for Australia, starting with the upcoming England tour this year, the British & Irish Lions tour in 2025, Rugby World Cups in 2027 & 2029, leading through to the 2032 Olympic Games men’s and women’s Rugby Sevens competitions.”

Australia were effectively unchallenged as the “preferred candidate” in a new joint venture model proposed by World Rugby.

After England host the 2025 women’s World Cup, Australia will host both the men’s and women’s World Cups, and then the USA will do likewise as an emerging market with the 2031 and 2035 World Cups.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont shared “Australia are used to doing big events. You raised the bar in 2003.”

After an unsuccessful run for the 2021 Women’s World Cup in 2018, Australia’s bid for the 2027 World Cup gathered serious momentum in 2020 when new Rugby Australia chairman McLennan hired Kearns to run the bid team, and put together a heavyweight 2027 bid advisory board of John Howard, John Coates, Rod Eddington, Peter Cosgrove, Elizabeth Gaines, John Eales, Gary Ella and Olivia Wirth.

Image top: 2027 bid team chief and Former Wallabies captain Phil Kearns (left) with Rugby Australia Chief Executive Andy Marinos courtesy Rugby Australia Facebook; image above: Australia to host 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Images courtesy Rugby Australia Facebook