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Federazione Italiana Rugby (Italian Rugby Federation – FIR) director Marzio Innocenti has confirmed that Italy would like to host Rugby World Cup 2035 or 2039.
During the Italian test team’s presentation ahead of departing Italy for the World Cup in France, Innocenti spoke about a number of topics including Italy hosting a Rugby World Cup. Included was the all important phrase:
“We would like to apply for Rugby World Cup 2035 or 2039”
No mention was made as to how Italy would host a Rugby World Cup. The country is, nonetheless, a leading new candidate to host a Rugby World Cup. In terms of the level of the national men’s test test, the country is the top European option. 80,000 were in attendance at Milan for Italy vs New Zealand in 2009.
A total of seven Italian cities hosted test matches during the Rugby World Cup 2019-2023 cycle. During this period Italy played home matches in Ancona, Florence, Genoa, Padua, Rome, San Benedetto del Tronto and Treviso
Rugby World Cup 2023 will be the fourth overall played in France. The 1991 and 1999 tournaments were across the former Five Nations. France then hosted Rugby World Cup 2007 with Wales and Scotland receiving some matches.
Rugby World Cup 2023 is to thus be the first played entirely in France. Neighboring Italy is the only Six Nations member to never have hosted a Rugby World Cup match. Italy bid for Rugby World Cups 2015 and 2019 which were awarded to England and Japan respectively.
Italy was interested in bidding for Rugby World Cup 2023. The final three bids were France, Ireland and South Africa. Both Italy and Argentina cancelled their bids after determining that bidding against France would be far from financially wise.
World Rugby has already allocated the hosts for both Rugby World Cups 2027 and 2031. Rugby World Cup 2027 will be returning to Australia while the 2031 tournament will be the first in the Americas. The USA will host the tournament but missed out on qualifying for Rugby World Cup 2023 as Uruguay and Chile qualified from the Americas instead and the Eagles missed out to Portugal in repechage.
Uruguay will face Italy in Pool A of Rugby World Cup 2023. The group also contains Namibia, New Zealand and hosts France. Italy is striving to reach the Quarter Finals for the first time. Despite never getting out of their group in a World Cup, the Italians have had notable wins in recent times including against Australia, South Africa and Wales.
There are two professional Italian teams in the United Rugby Championship (URC) – Benetton in Treviso and Zebre in Parma. The country also has a domestic professional league, the Top 10. Top players from the latter often go on to play in the former.
