Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

How hosting the 2027 World Cup could save Australian rugby

By AAP
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Rugby Australia boss Andy Marinos has promised the sport’s chance to reset and prosper won’t be missed after the country all but landed the hosting rights for the 2027 World Cup.

ADVERTISEMENT

Australia was listed on Thursday by rugby’s governing body as the “preferred candidate” to host the global tournament, in what effectively ended a two-horse race with the United States.

The event – which Australia hosted in 1987 and 2003 – is being regarded as a “once-in-generation” opportunity for a financially stricken sport that contemplated a return to amateur status last year.

Video Spacer

Why Rieko Ioane can be a world-class centre for the All Blacks | Healthspan Elite Performer of the Week

Video Spacer

Why Rieko Ioane can be a world-class centre for the All Blacks | Healthspan Elite Performer of the Week

“Absolutely, it really will (move RA out of the red); it’s going to be a game-changer for us, both on and off the field,” Marinos said.

“It’s hugely significant; it gives us a pathway, optimism and an ability to reset the commercial landscape when you look at the opportunities ahead.”

Australia will host England in a test series next year before the 2023 World Cup in France and an Australian British & Irish Lions tour in 2025.

The likely 2027 World Cup will be followed by an Olympic Games on home soil in 2032 in Brisbane.

“The focus is going to be on this part of the world, it’s a fantastic opportunity to latch on to,” Marinos said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Profit from the 2003 World Cup was north of $40 million, but fast forward to April this year and RA was reporting a net deficit of $27.1 million.

That came after the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to destroy the game domestically, with Rugby Australia resorting to JobKeeper payments and saving almost $10 million in staff costs through redundancies.

At the time RA chairman Hamish McLennan admitted talk of returning to amateur status had been considered.

Acknowledging the lessons of the past, Marinos on Thursday stated RA had an obligation to set up rugby union long-term in Australia.

ADVERTISEMENT

“That’s been at the forefront of the board’s mind from the inception,” he said.

“This isn’t about getting a windfall and propping up artificially for a short-term gain.”

He also hoped the prospect of playing at a home World Cup would entice more talent – across all sports – to remain on Australian shores.

“It’s going to make a lot of the players playing abroad rethink and any thinking of going abroad,” he said.

“It’s a huge incentive to play in a World Cup on home soil, it’s a unique experience.

“Not only that but you’re talking about the 13, 14-year-olds that have an aspirational pathway now, across all the codes.”

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

2 Comments
i
isaac 1031 days ago

If only Australua could allow Fiji samoa and tonga to host a match or two each....they'd be grateful..otherwise, these small nations might never get a chance to hosting a world cup

Load More Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 2 hours ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Australia | Bledisloe Cup I

Yes I know little of South Africa's past teams I'm afraid, theyve obviously had great teams throughout their history.


You raise a tricky dilemma. Any team is a sum of their parts. To make a point, lets say that South Africa aren't a team that has been able to take advantage, or use all if it's 'parts', to a maximum before, were as you could say that 2015 AB did use all of it's parts and become the 'most complete' team in history. Now a) that might not be exactly true of either team, and b) even if it was true one could argue that doesn't mean the result is going to go one way or the other. SA "limited" style could win out again ABs "complete" style etc.


I'm of the belief that attack trumps defence, that the ball will always beat the man.. that the AB's having been so good because they found upon the best style of rugby to play and ended up winning against all the odds. They have not had the best players, they make the best of their players. That's what I see clicking in this current side, theyre becoming 'complete' again. I don't know why they've not been able to do it all game. You can point to their discipline but it could easily be a drop in physical conditioning. They've all got bigger, it's been a big area of change in the NZ game. They've also lost cohesion with players being able to come in from Japan.


So yes and no. I think Sacha is someone to enable a complete game, but SA are going to also lose some key 'parts' to there game when the vets retire. Like how NZ still had some 'parts' post 2015, they had no one to link them, hence how I think this team now trumps those because they do look to have someone who can make them complete, despite the individual parts (read "players"). The parts will still matter though, England have some great props coming through, France look to have the best trajectory, will there be enough pieces for Sacha to put together? Your forwards will play a big factor, I really like the idea of BJD offload game adding to that completeness. That certainly doesn't take away from what theyve done, they might indeed have beat that opposite idea, or this new team. Certainly the chance is there to do it, and this current team hasn't been doing it. It will be hard to think of a 'great' team that is actually 'two' teams over a 4 year period!

58 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Why Rassie Erasmus should cull some Boks veterans for 2027 Why Rassie Erasmus should cull some Boks veterans for 2027
Search