Sydney’s Stadium Australia is set to host the final of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, 24 years after the Wallabies’ last-gasp loss to Jonny Wilkinson’s England at the same venue.
World Rugby bosses on Thursday unveiled the seven host cities for the expanded 24-team tournament which will run from October 1 to November 13.
Among the notable inclusions is Melbourne, which will host nine games, including two round-of-16 matches, with the potential for those fixtures to take place at the MCG.
Melbourne’s success in winning hosting rights comes despite concerns Victoria would not host any games as a result of the fallout that stemmed from the collapse of Super Rugby’s Melbourne Rebels.
Brisbane will host two of the quarterfinals, while regional areas such as Townsville and Newcastle will take in pool games.
Perth and Adelaide have also won games but Canberra, home of Super Rugby’s ACT Brumbies, was not successful.
Sydney dominated Thursday’s announcement with the Harbour city winning five pool matches, two round of 16 matches, two quarterfinals, two semifinals, the bronze final and the World Cup final.
“Rugby World Cup is among the planet’s biggest sporting events and Australia is incredibly excited to welcome the world to the 2027 edition,” said RA chief executive Phil Waugh.
“Australia has a rich history of hosting major tournaments — indeed, we co-hosted the first ever Rugby World Cup almost 40 years ago and I have no doubt this event will captivate and enthral the hundreds of thousands attending in-stadium and the hundreds of millions viewing around the world.”
RWC 2027 match locations
- Adelaide — five pool matches
- Brisbane — six pool matches, two round of 16 matches, two quarterfinals
- Melbourne — seven pool matches, two round of 16 matches
- Newcastle — four pool matches
- Perth — five pool matches (including the opening match), two round of 16 matches
- Sydney — five pool matches, two round of 16 matches, two quarterfinals, two semifinals, the bronze final and the RWC final
- Townsville — four pool matches
AAP
