World Rugby Officials Gather in Buenos Aires

Argentina’s push to host a World Cup take on a new meaning as World Rugby officials gather in Buenos Aires this weekend.

The Union Argentina de Rugby (UAR) is to host a series of meetings with key World Rugby committee members. Present are to be World Rugby’s Executive, Rugby, Regional Advisory, Audit and Risk and Regulations Committees and the Rugby World Cup Board who will meet with new Chairman Bill Beaumont and Vice-Chairman Agustín Pichot.

World Rugby reports that due to the sport’s continued growth at record levels globally and following a successful Olympic Games debut for rugby sevens, the committees will consider strategies that will foster continued prosperity and sustainability of rugby at all levels in line with World Rugby’s strategic mission to grow the global rugby family.

Items on the agenda include reviewing existing law trials which are ongoing around the world, player welfare injury-prevention strategies, mass participation and high performance strategies, a review of rugby sevens at Rio 2016, Rugby World Cup 2019 preparation, Rugby World Cup 2023 host selection process and further consideration of the global calendar.

The meetings take place at a time in which participation across the nine World Rugby member unions in Sudamérica Rugby have increased participation by 36%. They now have some 337,000 active players and women’s rugby is experiencing record growth.

As stated by Pichot and the UAR earlier in the year Argentine rugby will be taking the opportunity to show World Rugby that it has the means of hosting a Rugby World Cup. The country wishes to bring the tournament to the Americas for the first time, hosting it in 2027.