Australia launched a bid to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup final in Perth

Perth could be the stunning location for the final of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, should Australia’s bid be effective. Senior officials have minimized discuss Australia being hot favorites to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup, yet are idealistic about their possibilities. Rugby Australia officially launched its World Cup bid in Sydney on Thursday morning yet there is no assurance the harbor city will host the final of one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

The Australian bid was launched in Sydney on Thursday with a rallying cry of Game On. World Rugby rules specify that a Rugby World Cup final should be held at a stadium with at least 60,000 seats, which precludes the 52,000-capacity Suncorp Stadium. Australia’s bid team are looking at Optus Stadium in Perth, Stadium Australia in Sydney, and the MCG – the only three arenas in the country that fit World Rugby’s criteria.

While there is the discussion the nation will lead the race for 2027, Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos sounded a cautionary note.

He referred to 2023 competition host vote won by France.

“It was not so long ago South Africa were the firm favorites to win 2023 and then at the last minute the whole thing turned on them,” Marinos said.

“We are certainly putting ourselves in the very best position we can and it all depends on the strength of the other bids, particularly from America.”

Australia could confront numerous adversaries for the 2027 hosting rights, as per RA chairman Hamish McLennan.

“We know that the US is there for 27 and 31, Russia has put its hand up, I don’t know if they will be able to handle it,” McLennan said.

“There might be a Celtic bid in the next weeks that comes forward.

“I think there’s a general acknowledgment that it due to come south, it has been quite a few years (2011) since it’s been played in the southern hemisphere and we’re one of the most historical rugby nations going, so I think they know we will manage the tournament really well.”

Different purposes behind the Australian bid’s optimism include the nation’s proven record of hosting major events – the 2000 Olympics and 2003 Rugby World Cup – existing infrastructure including a few modern and sizeable stadia, and the handling of the COVID pandemic.

RA has not yet decided on a location and is consulting with state governments, which are generally keen to host the match. Australia will advance a suggestion in the coming months however if the bid is successful, eventually, it is World Rugby that will decide where the match will happen.

World Rugby will not declare the winning host until May 2022, yet before the month’s over will realize the number of nations have officially expressed interest, with Australia the only affirmed bidder at this stage. The USA could place in a bid for 2027 yet have additionally informally expressed interest in hosting the 2031 competition.

Authorities are seriously weighing up Perth as an option. The Wallabies beat the All Blacks 47-26 at a sold-out Optus Stadium in 2019 and, while Stadium Australia (83,500) and the MCG (100,000) are greater, RA trusts Perth gives a superior time region to significant UK and France TV audiences.

The 2003 World Cup final was held in Sydney at 8 pm (AEDT), which was mid-morning in the northern hemisphere.

Former Wallabies captain and executive director of the World Cup bid Phil Kearns affirmed Perth was in the running to host the final.

“We can encourage and have views but, if you look at Perth, Perth has an incredible stadium and it’s a great time zone – a much better time zone – for France and the UK, where a huge TV audience is,” Kearns told the Herald.

“The MCG holds more people than what Sydney does. If you multiply that out by the ticket price of a final, that’s a substantial piece of income.

“Then if you look at Sydney, Sydney and Brisbane are the home of rugby. Sydney has got an incredible stadium, we’ve done it before and it’s a great venue. There are three cities with three different stories about why the World Cup final should be there. That’s a really tough one.”

As per Kearns, three state governments “all want the final”. It is likely the two states that miss out on the final will host semis. Brisbane would need to agree to a quarter-final.

RA chairman Hamish McLennan said: “We’re currently having discussions with all those states … but it’s too early to say.”

More than a dozen venues were used for the 2003 World Cup in Australia, yet World Rugby has cut that number down for financial reasons. Somewhere in the range of eight and 10 will be used in 2027.

No venues are affirmed at this stage, however, Sydney will trust Stadium Australia, the new Sydney Football Stadium and Bankwest Stadium are on the list of venues.

“We’ve given a list of 16 to World Rugby and scoped them out,” Kearns said. “Over the next six or eight months will be when we come together more closely on what those 10 will be.”

It was a’s who of Australian rugby on Thursday morning at the Museum of Contemporary Art, with Wallabies coach Dave Rennie, CEO Andy Marinos, World Cup-winning captain John Eales and former Wallaby great Gary Ella all at hand to advocate the bid.

“We’re not thinking about missing out,” McLennan said. “We’re dedicated on winning. We’ve proven we can host these major events. In a pandemic world, we do it better than any other country.

“We’re not being complacent. What you’ve seen today is a highly professional well-organized bid process.”

The Australian bid projects more than 200,000 international visitors and more than 2,000,000 participants for the 2027 tournament if the bid is successful.

It would feature 20 countries and 48 matches more than seven weeks and be played somewhere in the range of eight and 10 venues.

A 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia would pump $2.5 billion into the economy and attract 200,000 tourists, the competition bid team says.

Australia officially launches its bid to host the RWC in Sydney today with a high-powered team that incorporates former Prime Minister John Howard and International Olympic Committee Vice President John Coates.

After Argentina withdrew from the race a year ago, Russia is the only other nation to officially register interest in hosting the 2027 tournament yet there are question marks over the authenticity of that bid.

Russia is prohibited from bidding on major sporting events until the finish of 2022 after a Court of Arbitration for Sport punishment for systemic doping.

World Rugby is scheduled to declare the 2027 host in May one year from now.

“Hosting Rugby World Cup 2027 is a once in a generation opportunity for Australia, which would drive substantial economic outcomes for our country, while also providing a lasting legacy for rugby in this region,” Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan said.

“Australia is a sports-loving nation with a vast network of world-class modern stadia. We have a proud rugby heritage in this country and are also home to ex-pats from across the globe who love to get out and support their teams when they tour.”

Australia hosted the 2003 RWC and co-hosted the debut 1987 competition with New Zealand.

France is hosting the 2023 competition and it is tipped to get back toward the southern hemisphere in 2027.

“Hosting Rugby World Cup 2027 would be a significant moment for Australia on the world stage,” bid advisory board chairman Sir Rod Eddington said.

“This event is a beacon to the business community and tourists around the world. We cannot underestimate the significance hosting this tournament would have for Australia’s economy.

“The 2027 event is projected to attract more than two million attendees across seven weeks of competition, including 200,000 international visitors, and generate $2.5 billion in direct and indirect expenditure to the economy, while also creating 13,300 FTE jobs and stimulating $500 million in new trade and investment.

“This is a moment for all Australia to celebrate as we put or best foot forward and say to the world, it is time for rugby’s showpiece event to return to Australian shores in 2027.”