As the Wallabies’ World Cup campaign heats up in Japan, Michael Cheika, Michael Hooper and the rest of the team are quite rightly focused on winning the William Webb Ellis Cup. But once our campaign inevitably ends without Bill as it has every year since 1999 – although I always dream otherwise – the executives at Rugby Australia should turn their attention to 2027.
France have already been confirmed as the hosts of the next iteration of the tournament in 2023. Tradition would say that the 2027 tournament should be hosted in the southern hemisphere, or at least outside of Europe. Argentina have expressed interest, with Uruguay potentially an option to co-host following their strong showing in Japan.
South Africa have put their hand up as they have for every World Cup since 2011. The USA have emerged as a dark horse as the popularity of the sport grows in North America following the creation of Major League Rugby. Australia have again expressed an interest in hosting with the hope of replicating the success of the 2003 tournament.
Rugby Australia should fight hard to host the tournament in 2027. Rugby union in Australia is struggling at the moment, with the general public quite apathetic to the sport. Crowds at Super Rugby matches are well down across the country, and the Wallabies struggle to draw TV eyeballs outside of the World Cup and the Bledisloe Cup.
(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Any Australian bid for 2027 needs something extra to appeal to and entice World Rugby to look to an Australian tournament as the best option for the sport globally.
Australia should work with Fiji, Samoa and Tonga to host a joint Pacific tournament that would revitalise rugby not just here but in those nations as well. Australia has the money, but has lacked a bit of passion in recent times. The Pacific islands always struggle with money, but have so much passion for the game that would only add to the tournament.
It wouldn’t be the first time the tournament was co-hosted. In 1987 Australia and New Zealand hosted together, in 1991 games were spread through the European Five Nations – with Wales being supported by England, France, Scotland and Ireland – in 2007 France were the major host but Wales and Scotland held a few games each and in 2015 Millenium Stadium held some games.
In 2017 Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea hosted the Rugby League World Cup. While the Kangaroos’ 6-0 triumph over England in the final in Brisbane was one of the greatest games of rugby league I’ve ever seen, the other undeniable highlight of the tournament was the Papua New Guinean sides’ home games.
Papua New Guinea played their three group stage games against the USA, Wales and Ireland at the National Football Stadium in Port Moresby in front of raucous sold out crowds. The passion of the fans made the tournament memorable.
Just like Papua New Guinea’s love of rugby league Tonga, Samoa and Fiji are rugby mad. The Fijian Drua’s entry into the National Rugby Championship was a Rugby Australia masterstroke. Rarely do Fiji and their Pacific neighbours get top flight rugby action, so the chance for them to host a few games of a Rugby World Cup would grow and strengthen rugby throughout the Pacific.
While crowds in the Pacific have never been massive, they are solid. In the Pacific Nations Cup in 2017, Tonga hosted twin sold out matches at the 10,000 seat Teufaiva Sport Stadium against Fiji and Samoa. Samoa hosted a match against Fiji in Apia in front of 6500 – with 12,000 seats available for any potential World Cup match-ups.
The Fijian Drua – while not the national team – still drew 6000 to a number of their NRC matches, while during a World Cup their ANZ Stadium could hold 15,000. Medium sized full house games at these smaller stadiums with ten, twelve or fifteen thousand fans packed to the rafters would only add to the tournament.
A Pacific-hosted World Cup could present some logistical issues. New Zealand is geographically a better fit for the island nations to host alongside, but it will be a number of years before New Zealand is in line to host again – and by then rugby in the Pacific may be lost.
(Photo by Renee McKay/Getty Images)
It’s time to be proactive and grow rugby in the region. Flights from the eastern seaboard of Australia to Suva, Apia and Nuku’alofa are relatively short. Perth and Adelaide are further, but teams wouldn’t be forced to travel from the Pacific to Perth.
Australia would still host the bulk of the games. Of the 48 games in the World Cup Tonga, Fiji and Samoa could all host two games each. To make it worthwhile, those games would feature the home nations. Perhaps those six games could be towards the start of the tournament, before all the games move to Australia. Regardless, there would still be plenty of matches for Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne to host.
Everyone loves to see the Pacific nations do well in most sports because of the passion they play with. This vision for the 2027 World Cup would appeal to World Rugby, give those nations an opportunity to be part of the third biggest sporting event in the world and give Australia the best chance of hosting the tournament while growing the game in the Pacific.
Istanbul Wingman
Roar Guru
I understood SA were out this time round due to repeated failures (snubs). If they're in, they have to get it, but Australia has a very strong case. They did a marvelous job in 2003 and have a relatively strong economy. A third place playoff in Suva would be nice, but I don't see any matches going to the islands, tbh. World Cups need to run at maximum profitability in order to help fund the game in places like the Pacific Islands. I believe World Rugby is propping up the Drua's involvement in Australian competition, for one thing.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
A lot has changed since 2009. Back then the government would have needed to fund a lot of stadia for the event. By the time of the 2023 Rugby World Cup there should be 3 new stadiums in Sydney as well as the recently completed projects like Perth Stadium and Adelaide Oval Redevelopment. Potential a new stadium in Canberra too and possibly a 2nd Brisbane Stadium. The reality is that a Rugby World Cup would ensure a great deal of occupancy (and the associated income) in a period when our stadia is most underused. The event would be able to run basically the same time as the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups as by the 2nd last weekend of September, there is generally only AFL games at the MCG, which won't be required, and a max of 2 NRL games per weekend. I can imagine the SCG trust and whoever runs tourism and the remaining Sydney stadiums would be licking their lips at the prospect of a full house at ANZ, Allianz and Bankwest on the same weekend for example.
SandBox
Roar Guru
If you want to go down that path, then we should have done more for rugby in Melanesian countries such as PNG, as that’s a stronger connection to us. With the stronger connection in NZ with the Polynesians. However you look at it I’d say if we get it again in the future it would be right for us to help rugby in our region, and it’s developing well in the Polynesian countries. Wallabies are benefiting from this. Possibly it isn’t the best financial idea and we could help out in other ways with any windfall from a RWC
Joey Francis
Roar Rookie
At the moment, Suva is only an hour different in time zone than Sydney, so I can’t see it being too much of a huge issue
Joey Francis
Roar Rookie
I like less teams qualifying but then the tournament becomes more like the FIFA World Cup where almost all internationals are centred on qualifying for the World Cup. Test Rugby featuring European nations versus the Southern Hemisphere sides for nothing but pride and bragging rights are still hugely popular and important to world rugby
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Nothing incorrect , there is a difference between funding an event and paying a fee for the event. The Olympics now they have to pay people to have them not the other way around. Even with that the Olympics is the worst waste of money even worse than the Commonwealth games, bankrupting Greece and not once single Olympics has been a success story financially. The payoff in tourism is small compared to the cost, if you dont have a local population willing to attend the event then you see the empty stands. NZ and Samoa, where all of NZ has contributed to the cover up. So if Samoa payed the All Blacks cost what did the sponsors pay for. The costs were astronomical so could have been padded with all sorts of thing as well, or maybe the All Blacks are just a super bloated mob these days , Fiji had to get their players to England for 70k pounds. Do we have a figure for the All Blacks costs it seemed to be well in excess of the 1 million dollar mark. Even if they had 50 players and staff they must have stayed in a five star hotel plus first class flights.
Brian
Guest
Will go to SA. Problem with PI is tv rights. Tonga and London is a 12 hour time difference which is as bad at it gets in generating TV/Streaming rights
Kevin
Roar Rookie
Very true, I would keep to 20, but restrict automatic qualifying to the semi finalists and not the top 12. Then have regional comps in the middle of the cycle for the teams to qualify. So Euro-Africa would have a 10 team competition played instead of the autumn internationals of that season. Top 8 teams not qualified would gain qualification
Jacko
Guest
I think the USA are ready......They have a population of 300million plus and lots of fans from other countries are happy to follow their teams.....Im not sure where they would want it hosted tho.....I see in the NZ herald that Ma'a Nonu has signed for the Major league rugby comp for next year and with the sort of $$ these teams will generate it wont be long before the $$ attract the top players at the end of their careers like the MLS does.....Maybe 2027 is 4 years too soon but I think they could do it...
Joey Francis
Roar Rookie
Hopefully not more games as you suggest. Moving to 24 teams would be a huge mistake from World Rugby. South Africa has some dangers attached, which is why World Rugby have been reluctant to award it to them. Johannesburg has very high crime numbers.
Joey Francis
Roar Rookie
I’m not an economist, I get what you’re saying about the cost but I’d love it if they were able to make it happen
Jacko
Guest
A couple of incorrect things there....Brisbane is looking to host the 2032 olympics and are relying on Federal funding for the bidding process and the infrastructure garrantees.... For the NZ v Samoa test corporate sponsors stepped in to ensure it was possible and NZ only had costs covered with no profit https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11321557
Jacko
Guest
Aus had the chance way before NZ did...2003 was before 2011 Sandbox.....Biggest problem with the PI nations is they wont be able to add much to the garranteed income required by the IRB as hosting games costs a lot of coin.....I think they were saying 500k for the SR games the saders and Chiefs have played....Is Aus willing to pay the lot and lose some of the income? I do like the concept tho
AndyS
Guest
It is not like they haven't already done the math...https://www.theroar.com.au/2009/05/07/aru-rules-out-bid-for-rugby-world-cup/. Given the way the asking price has escalated wildly since then, for it now to be feasible there must have been an explosion in funding, sponsorship, confidence and popularity for it now to be thought doable. Can't say I've noticed it myself though.
Butch
Guest
Inspired proposal. Good thinking. SA is the major opposition. US is too risky for WR. Japanese are very different to Americans in turning up to a sport that is not top of the pile. I don’t think the whole nation or even large parts of the US would support 48 or likely more games in 2027 by attending as the Japanese have. The RWC has captured the hearts of the Japanese from the royal family and leading politicians down to office workers and school kids. Having been there for 2 weeks it was the most wonderful experience which I doubt WR will consider it can replicate and fill the seats in a US setting.
Joey Francis
Roar Rookie
And we have most of the infrastructure in place already, only slight upgrades would he needed. If the NSW govt. can spend $800m on ANZ, the states together with the Federal Government and RA can pay $273m, especially when they’d be making most of that back anyway
Joey Francis
Roar Rookie
They wouldn’t exactly be viewed as “lesser” games if they involved hose home nations. I definitely agree though that a post-Super Rugby future incorporating the Pacific is a great idea, but perhaps the World Cup could be the start of that relationship
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
They pay a big fee for each Formula One race, the difference is thats paid by Victoria government, other events cost a lot , the commonwealth games costs over a billion but does not attract even a fraction of that in paying tourists from overseas. Could they raise that money by selling the games to each state or the Australian government pays it instead, USA gov does not pay for events. Olympics are host city funded. South Africa could be willing to pay. Russia would pay but are they interested. Forget Argentina they are always bankrupt. The four home nations the gov pays for them. Its funny New Zealand complaining they charged Samoa a massive fee for their one off test match.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Australia probably can afford it. If France are paying this, it's because they think they can make more than $273M AUD. Why will Australia make less? The primary benefit is the increase in tourism.
John R
Roar Guru
Long bow to draw, but the Federal government clearly have an agenda of re-enganging with our Pacific Island neighbours, ostensibly to ward of Chinese Influence, so there could potentially be some money for RA to lobby there, and strengthen the cultural ties through rugby.