Rugby World Cup 2027 Australia host cities: Where every match will be played
Rugby Australia chief Phil Waugh declares the 2027 Rugby World Cup at home the Wallabies’ chance for redemption, as Melbourne misses out on blockbuster games.
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Almost a quarter of a century after one of the most heartbreaking moments in Australian sport, the Rugby World Cup is returning to the scene of the crime.
Sydney’s Accor Stadium has been confirmed as the host venue for the final of the 11th RWC on Nov 13, 2027, almost 24 years to the day since the Wallabies’ heartbreaking extra-time defeat to England at Homebush.
Twice winners of the William Webb Ellis Cup in the 1990s, the Wallabies have never been the same since Jonny Wilkinson kicked the winning field goal for the Poms in 2003, reaching just one final in the two decades than have passed, then failing to advance beyond the pool stage at the last edition in France in 2023.
But hope springs eternal and the prospect of hosting rugby’s jewel in the crown has got everyone dreaming big again after the seven host cities for the 2027 tournament were officially revealed at a harbourside function in Sydney.
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh played in that 2003 final and said he can’t wait for the Wallabies to have another shot at redemption.
“I think Sydney has a special love for rugby and it’s a great venue to host the semi-finals and the finals here,” he said.
“I’m sure that all of Sydney and all of NSW will embrace those massive events.”
New South Wales was the biggest winner from the initial match allocation, getting 17 of the 52 available games.
Sydney’s allotment, split between Accor Stadium and Allianz Stadium, amounted to 13 matches, including the final, both semis, the third-place playoff, two quarter-finals and two round-of-16 games. Newcastle will get four pool matches.
But Victoria was the biggest loser, despite receiving nine matches.
Considered Sydney’s biggest rival for the final, Melbourne missed out on the biggest blockbuster games after the state’s negotiations with World Rugby faltered.
It was an open secret organisers wanted to take some of the biggest matches to the Melbourne Cricket Ground because of the stadium’s 100,000 seat capacity, but the Victorian government dropped the ball by playing politics and withdrawing their initial offer.
It was only when this masthead revealed four weeks ago that Victoria was at risk of missing out altogether that the state government went back to the table with a new offer, which was only signed off on Tuesday, too late for Melbourne to get any of the marquee matches.
World Rugby would not be drawn on the negotiations but CEO Alan Gilpin said Melbourne at one point had been considered for the final.
“The conversations happened, absolutely, through the process,” he said.
The Victorian government said in a statement it was pleased to be part of the tournament.
“The Rugby World Cup has a massive global audience and hosting games in Melbourne means the best of Victoria will be shown around the world to the millions of viewers and attract visitors from key markets,” the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said.
Queensland and Western Australia were the beneficiaries of Victoria’s off again-on-again bid.
Queensland was awarded 14 matches – 10 at Suncorp Stadium, plus four in Townsville.
Brisbane’s 52,000 seater Suncorp Stadium failed to make the shortlist for the biggest games because it was considered too small, an ongoing sore point for Queenslanders campaigning for bigger sporting arenas ahead of the Olympics, but it did receive two quarters.
Perth was awarded seven matches, including the opening match on October 1, two days before the NRL grand final, which means it is guaranteed to include the Wallabies.
South Australia received five games but the most notable omission was Canberra, which was left out altogether, prompting independent senator and former Wallabies and ACT Brumbies captain David Pocock to criticise the ACT government for lacking ‘vision and imagination.”
Brett Robinson, the first Australian appointed as chair of World Rugby, said he was also saddened that the nation’s capital did not get a guernsey.
“It’s disappointing that we haven’t got the stadium,” he said.
“I’ve got a few chips on my shoulders as a lot of Brumbies do, we haven’t quite got the stadium we’d love to be competitive.”
While the seven host cities were confirmed, the dates for each match won’t be known until after the official draw, expected at the end of this year.
What is known however is that the 2027 RWC will be the biggest ever – in terms of competing teams, crowd attendances, television viewers and profits, injecting more than $2 billion into the Australian economy and attracting 250,000 overseas visitors.
With the number of countries involved rising from 20 to 24, the six week tournament will see teams split into six pools of four teams, followed by a newly added round-of-16 then the quarters, semis and final.
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Originally published as Rugby World Cup 2027 Australia host cities: Where every match will be played
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