Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Australia will host Rugby World Cups in 2027 and 2029. A World Rugby vote in Dublin on Thursday morning determined awarded Australia hosting rights. RWC 2023 will be the Men’s Rugby World Cup and RWC 2029 will be the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
RWC 2027 will be the third edition of the Rugby World Cup in Australia. The inaugural RWC in 1987 was co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Australia hosted the tournament alone in 2003. That tournament was followed by France hosting in 2007. France will host RWC 2023.
Australia has never hosted a Women’s Rugby World Cup. The competition will be played seven year’s after RWC 2021 in New Zealand, a tournament which was delayed until 2022. The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup will be played in England.
There is speculation of expanding the Men’s Rugby World Cup from 20 to 24 teams, though today’s decision was for a 20-team tournament. The existing model is thus to be retained. It is a total of 48 matches with teams divided into four pools of five and two from each group advancing to the play-off’s.
Australia is an anual opponent of Argentina in the Rugby Championship. Los Pumas played two matches in Queensland state in 2021 and two in New South Wales state in 2021. Canada, Uruguay and the USA are additional countries from the Americas that play in Men’s RWCs. The trio do not play Australia outside of World Cups.
The Americas now awaits the decision on hosting rights the following RWCs. Coming later today, the USA is expected to be confirmed as the tournament hosts.
