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RWC 2035 has a few suitors putting their name in the hat!
RWC 2035 has a few suitors putting their name in the hat!
With Mens RWC 2027 in Australia, Womens RWC 2029 in Australia, Mens RWC 2031 in USA & Womens RWC 2033 in USA, then we must need a European RWC again by RWC 2035.
Although, a joint bid from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE will have some serious money behind their bid to shine on International rugby. They do not have the Rugby hertitage in the region to start the conversation of hosting the tournament in 10 years time. Potentially 2039 will be a better option for the Middle East to enter the World rugby stage as hosts, giving the chance for Saudi Arabia and Qatar to get some international games under their belts and offer a substantial competition as hosts. The UAE would be the most competitive of the trio but would need further exposure to bigger nations before a leap into a home World Cup.
Then Japan have their hand up for 2035 or 2039, with their last RWC coming in 2019. If they were awarded the 2035 RWC, this would be the same 16 year gap that France had between their 2007 & 2023 tournaments. Japan would be the safe option for World Rugby as the tournament has already been staged there, and it worked well. Apart from the interruptions from the weather.
Spain would need to lean on La Liga to support the bid due to the lack of Rugby stadiums in the country. The stadiums are usually borrowed from other sports, and don’t have the infastructure to accomodate ticketing, refreshements or the safety requirements that would come with a global tournament like the World Cup. It may be the catalyst for a Rugby explosion in Spain, we are on a precipise here at the minute and needs that last nudge for society and the governments to believe in the game.
With the new state of the art Santiago Bernabeau nearcompletion and hosting the NFL this year, the Nou Camp being rebuilt and not far from completion too. Spain will have 2 of the best stadiums in the world available to host the latter stages of the tournament on the biggest stage. Then there are a further 10 stadiums that can hold over 27,000 for the rest of the tournament. Valladolid hosted the visit of Fiji in November 2024, and the atmosphere and attendance was phenomenal. Added to that, the spaces around the grounds to offer fan parks is a common them for Rugby games in Spain.
Spain has an extremely quick rail network to connect the major cities with the rest of the tournament, and will give fans the option to commute for certain games if they wanted to. Train prices are also decently priced for the time and distance travelled. The trains also have wifi on these days, allowing fans to catch up with all the Rugby news on the Rugby App by ATR.
Alongside the high speed rail network, various International airports are dotted around Spain with links into the rail network. Giving the critical access from the countries across the globe.
However, the access and transport around Spain fits the bill for a World Cup bid. The Stadiums would have to be agreed with La Liga, which could involve a Summer World Cup. Which in July and August, Spain gets pretty hot with humidity through the roof. But would offer a great summer desination for Rugby fans. One that would need to be discussed with World Rugby, but no different to a bid from the middle east, where the Qatar Football World Cup ended up in the Winter but was still under extreme heat.
I am obviously biased, and would love to see the Rugby World Cup in the country, I now call home. I think it would give a real boost to Rugby Europe too, allow a Tier 2 Nation to host the biggest spectacle in Rugby.