Rugby Australia has today welcomed the announcement from World Rugby outlining the new process and timeline for the allocation of future Rugby World Cups.
Rugby Australia has previously confirmed its desire to host the Men's 2027 Rugby World Cup and has signalled serious intent through the recent formation of a high-powered Advisory Board to oversee Rugby Australia's bid.
Rugby Australia Chairman Hamish McLennan said: "We welcome the formal announcement by World Rugby of the 2027 and 2031 Rugby World Cup host selection process.
"With France set to host the next World Cup in 2023 and following previous editions in the United Kingdom and Japan in 2015 and 2019 respectively, we firmly believe that the World Cup in 2027 has to be in the southern hemisphere.
"We have made significant headway in our preparation to bid for Rugby World Cup 2027, thanks in no small part to the support of the Australian Government to date.
"We look forward to working with World Rugby throughout the Dialogue Phase to develop a compelling business and delivery model. This is an exciting and important opportunity, not only for Rugby here in Australia, to ensure that hosting this Tournament provides maximum economic stimulus to the country, as we continue to rebuild from the financial impact of COVID-19,"McLennan said.
The announcement comes after it was confirmed that Japan 2019 was the most economically-impactful Rugby World Cup ever, generating $7.5 billion in economic activity. The 2019 Tournament also gave Japan a participation boost of over 750,000.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Bid Advisory Board Chairman, Sir Rod Eddington said: "Bringing Rugby World Cup 2027 to Australia would be fantastic for the game at all levels, and the response by the Australian Rugby community to our intention to bid has been overwhelmingly positive.
"Seeing the impact that this Tournament had on the development of Rugby in Japan, and indeed the whole Asia Pacific region, provides us with massive motivation to secure this event.
"It is our intention to ensure that this Tournament not only delivers economic return to the country, but also creates a lasting legacy for boys and girls across the country to participate in rugby and enjoy this great global game," Eddington said.
Newly appointed Executive Director, Rugby World Cup Bid, Phil Kearns said "We note that World Rugby will award hosting rights to its next two men's and women's Rugby World Cups within the same process. This is a fantastic opportunity to accelerate the growth of the women's game which we wholeheartedly support. While it is our intention to bid for the 2027 Men's World Cup, we welcome the opportunity to have an open dialogue with World Rugby and our Government partners around the Women's events," Kearns said.
Rugby Australia has been supported through $1m Government funding for a "Foundation Planning Phase" between October 2019 and September 2020.
Independent research commissioned during this phase found that there is strong agreement for Government support in bringing major events to Australia, with 89% of Australians believing it is important to host major events, and economic impact being cited as the most important perceived benefit.
