Australia has been awarded hosting rights for both the 2027 men’s Rugby World Cup and the 2029 women’s Rugby World Cup.
Australia last hosted the Rugby World Cup in 2003 when Jonny Wilkinson famously won the World Cup with a dramatic drop goal.
Wallabies captain Michael Hooper, 30, will be only 35 by the time the World Cup is played on home soil, but just as he cruised over Sydney Harbour, he told Fox Rugby on the ferry he will be taking it easy by then.
“I’ll be sitting in the stands with a beer,” the most-capped Wallabies captain responded, when he was asked for the second time in as many days whether he would be hoping to appear at the World Cup.
His Wallaroos counterpart, Shannon Perry, meanwhile said the World Cup announcement can be the springboard for women’s rugby in the country.
It will be the first time that Australia has hosted the women’s Rugby World Cup.
It will be the first time Australia has hosted a rugby World Cup in almost a quarter of a century, when Jonny Wilkinson kicked England to glory on a November night in 2003.
The World Cups, as well as the upcoming England series and 2025 Lions tour, are poised to pump $100m into the Australian game.
The 2027 World Cup could also generate $2.8 billion for the nation’s economy.
With that, it gives Rugby Australia one last chance to secure the game’s future, while attracting 217,000 international visitors.
“Tonight’s World Rugby announcement will be the most significant moment in Australia rugby’s history winning RWC 1991 that put Rugby on the map in Oz,” two-time World Cup winner Tim Horan tweeted.
“Hosting men’s 2027 and women’s 2029 RWC will grow participation and provide financial security for our game for generations.”
