Rugby World Cups 2035 (and beyond)

[Rob2012]

32 minutes ago, Victorian said:

Rugby is coming home!

In 2025, yep

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/61424053

Edited May 12, 2022 by Rob.

[Victorian]

6 minutes ago, Rob. said:

In 2025, yep

2027 and 2029

[Rob2012]

The clue's in the name.

But seriously, two good picks for these World Cups. Australia is a known quantity and safe as houses as a host, I'm much more curious about America in terms of which stadiums they'll pick, how good their team might be, and how well it'll be supported. High risk, but high reward.

[yoshi]

Good calls I guess, although I'm a little bit weary of how Australia is basically hosting every big event in the later part of the decade - not because you'll be bad hosts, you're always great hosts* but just because there's normally a spread of these around the world - although I guess it's not much different to the UK in the early 10s, right down to the FIFA men's World Cup-shaped hole. Personally I'd have sooner had Argentina get the chance they deserve or South Africa 2. US is just very intriguing - genuinely no idea how it'll go. Every team getting a home crowd, with the American market finally turned on to rugby is the best case scenario. Getting the venue choice right will be hard - I hope they get Canada involved too, at least to play their pool games at home. 

*Just keep anyone involved in the Gold Coast closing ceremony as far away as possible. Greenland should do. 

Edited May 12, 2022 by yoshi

[LinkParkFn]

I've never been to a rugby game (I've really wanted to for so long), but I sincerely hope Dallas, Kansas City, St Louis or Denver are selected to host, given they are the closest major markets to where I live.

[AustralianFan]

USA to host two Rugby World Cups:

 2031 and 2033

 

 

[Victorian]

8 hours ago, yoshi said:

Good calls I guess, although I'm a little bit weary of how Australia is basically hosting every big event in the later part of the decade - not because you'll be bad hosts, you're always great hosts* but just because there's normally a spread of these around the world - although I guess it's not much different to the UK in the early 10s, right down to the FIFA men's World Cup-shaped hole. Personally I'd have sooner had Argentina get the chance they deserve or South Africa 2. US is just very intriguing - genuinely no idea how it'll go. Every team getting a home crowd, with the American market finally turned on to rugby is the best case scenario. Getting the venue choice right will be hard - I hope they get Canada involved too, at least to play their pool games at home. 

*Just keep anyone involved in the Gold Coast closing ceremony as far away as possible. Greenland should do. 

This is all part of our plan- the golden runway and decade towards Brisbane 2032

[Sir Rols]

9 hours ago, Victorian said:

Rugby is coming home!

 

9 hours ago, Rob. said:

In 2025, yep

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/61424053

Seriously, the big shock is the men’s tournament now going three consecutive editions - France, Oz and the US - without touching the Home Nations. After being used to having to hosting every second edition (I laugh at some of the commentary here that Oz is the “first” three-time host), what’s the odds that all stops are going to be pulled out to bring it “home” in 2035.

[Sir Rols]

21 hours ago, Victorian said:

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/2027-rugby-world-cup-to-be-in-australia-final-may-be-at-the-mcg/news-story/831b9541fd1bd55aad66fd810c51ab7e

Eye roll

That’d be right - Victoria finally discovering an interest in “thugby” when there’s some serious international exposure involved 

[ulu]

MCG being selected to host the final would be a joke.

[Victorian]

1 hour ago, ulu said:

MCG being selected to host the final would be a joke.

Would be the best outcome

[SportLightning]

I think the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles/Pasadena could be the final of the 2031 Rugby World Cup. Also with USA being awarded the 2031 Rugby World Cup and the 2033 Rugby World Cup (Women's), they will automatically qualify as host.

[Sir Rols]

9 hours ago, Victorian said:

Would be the best outcome

Would be an utter farce. An unsuitable pitch in a city that normally wouldn’t give two sniffs at Rugby. Would be nothing but Melburnian showboating and an insult to Australia’s rugby strongholds.

[AustralianFan]

7 hours ago, SportLightning said:

I think the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles/Pasadena could be the final of the 2031 Rugby World Cup. Also with USA being awarded the 2031 Rugby World Cup and the 2033 Rugby World Cup (Women's), they will automatically qualify as host.

Actually, if it was in LA then the stunning new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood where the Superbowl was just held and also the 2028 Olympic Opening Ceremony, would be where it was held.

[Victorian]

47 minutes ago, Sir Rols said:

Would be an utter farce. An unsuitable pitch in a city that normally wouldn’t give two sniffs at Rugby. Would be nothing but Melburnian showboating and an insult to Australia’s rugby strongholds.

It will be a golden opportunity for rugby's golden event to be staged in the world's sporting capital.

[Sir Rols]

3 minutes ago, Victorian said:

It will be a golden opportunity for rugby's golden event to be staged in the world's sporting capital.

… that doesn’t care for rugby

… and while the MCG might be a spectacular cricket and AFL venue, it’s not so much for rugby

Edited May 13, 2022 by Sir Rols

[SportLightning]

9 hours ago, AustralianFan said:

Actually, if it was in LA then the stunning new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood where the Superbowl was just held and also the 2028 Olympic Opening Ceremony, would be where it was held.

That's Inglewood which I've been there before in 2015 before the SoFi Stadium was built.

[AustralianFan]

Interesting condundrum for World Rugby

60,000 is the minimum required venue capacity by World Rugby for the Final.

In Australia, there are only three venues that meet that requirement:

Optus Stadium, Perth          60,000

Accor Stadium, Sydney        83,500  (hosted the 2003 RWC Final)

MCG, Melbourne                 100,024  biggest venue in Australia

Despite the interstate rivalvries, there is absolutely no doubt that all three of the above venues would be a sell-out should anyof them host the 2027 Rugby World Cup Final.  

 

 

 

[Faster]

Just because of where rugby is strongest in the US, New York should host the final. Semis should be in San Francisco and Boston for the same reasons.

[AustralianFan]

Apologies this is a subscription article from the Courier-Mail

 

 

[SportLightning]

I think Los Angeles could be the opening match at the Rose Bowl.

[Victorian]

https://www.rugby.com.au/news/queensland-based-hosting-model-touted-for-2029-world-cup-2022524

[Bull Schmidt]

Please forgive me for comparing sports in USA for a moment, but as a soccer fan, I can’t help it.

Major League Rugby has a considerably better presence in 2022 than what US Soccer had for a pro league when USA was awarded the 1994 World Cup. At least USA qualifies for RWCs; USA hadn’t qualified in soccer since 1950 and crashed out VERY early in 1985. MLR is at least on TV on a weekly basis if you have CBS Sports Network. The period between the death of the NASL and Paul Caligiuri’s goal in Trinidad was essentially a black hole in American soccer.

We can argue if “considerably better” in this context means comparing plankton to fruit flies. MLR is a league that half-fills some small parks, though I can point out some surprising places that should consider larger stadiums:

Utah. The Texas teams. Seattle. Maybe Atlanta.

(I’ve been to a Utah game. Their Pacific Island community turns out for games in serious numbers.)

Mind you, MLR has taken a step back this year by raising ticket prices. Most markets need to draw fans first. This also reminded me that my World Cup 1994 tickets basically ran $20 a pop (I bought first round packages for the Rose Bowl and Stanford), and even the spouses of service members I worked with at the time (most of whom had been on European tours in their lives) thought those prices to be more than reasonable. A RWC needs to be conscious of this.

Another thing from which 1994 benefitted is the less crowded summer schedule, made even lighter by the baseball lockout that year. It’s being suggested that the RWC, if held at the normal time, will conflict with the early months of the NFL and college football seasons. Though I could argue that we’re probably witnessing a decline from peak NFL and peak college football, that timing can be problematic. So does a rescheduling (I’ll try to restrict my grumbling about 2022 Qatar to this). What do you do with that?

[SportLightning]

On 6/11/2022 at 1:18 PM, Bull Schmidt said:

Please forgive me for comparing sports in USA for a moment, but as a soccer fan, I can’t help it.

Major League Rugby has a considerably better presence in 2022 than what US Soccer had for a pro league when USA was awarded the 1994 World Cup. At least USA qualifies for RWCs; USA hadn’t qualified in soccer since 1950 and crashed out VERY early in 1985. MLR is at least on TV on a weekly basis if you have CBS Sports Network. The period between the death of the NASL and Paul Caligiuri’s goal in Trinidad was essentially a black hole in American soccer.

We can argue if “considerably better” in this context means comparing plankton to fruit flies. MLR is a league that half-fills some small parks, though I can point out some surprising places that should consider larger stadiums:

Utah. The Texas teams. Seattle. Maybe Atlanta.

(I’ve been to a Utah game. Their Pacific Island community turns out for games in serious numbers.)

Mind you, MLR has taken a step back this year by raising ticket prices. Most markets need to draw fans first. This also reminded me that my World Cup 1994 tickets basically ran $20 a pop (I bought first round packages for the Rose Bowl and Stanford), and even the spouses of service members I worked with at the time (most of whom had been on European tours in their lives) thought those prices to be more than reasonable. A RWC needs to be conscious of this.

Another thing from which 1994 benefitted is the less crowded summer schedule, made even lighter by the baseball lockout that year. It’s being suggested that the RWC, if held at the normal time, will conflict with the early months of the NFL and college football seasons. Though I could argue that we’re probably witnessing a decline from peak NFL and peak college football, that timing can be problematic. So does a rescheduling (I’ll try to restrict my grumbling about 2022 Qatar to this). What do you do with that?

We,, we'll see with this host cities as soon they are announced.

[Sir Rols]

1 hour ago, SportLightning said:

We,, we'll see with this host cities as soon they are announced.

See, we shall