While World Rugby prioritises revenue, proud rugby nations like South Africa and New Zealand continue to be short-changed, writes Jon Cardinelli.
The Springboks and All Blacks have combined to win seven of the 10 World Cup titles since the inaugural global tournament was staged in 1987.
The 1995 World Cup in South Africa is still spoken about in reverent tones, due to the impact it had on the home country and the sport as a whole.
The image of Francois Pienaar lifting the trophy after the final and President Nelson Mandela raising his hands in triumph remains iconic.
“We didn’t have 60 000 South Africans,” the Bok skipper famously said, after the final whistle was blown and the jubilant crowd celebrated in the Ellis Park stands.
“We had 43 million South Africans.” Like South Africa, New Zealand lives for its rugby, and the 2011 World Cup tournament captivated the island nation like never before.
Sadly, neither country has hosted a World Cup in recent times – and if World Rugby has its way, the quadrennial tournament will continue to be held in regions where profits will be maximised.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer admitted as much earlier this year, when he was asked at a press conference whether his organisation would bid for the rights to host the 2035 tournament.
Australia will host the 2027 World Cup, while the USA will stage the tournament for the first time in 2031. By the time the 2031 edition of the event is done and dusted, the UK and Europe will have staged five of the 12 global tournaments. Africa, meanwhile, may have to be content with the 1995 showpiece as their one and only opportunity to play host.
“I think we have moved away from the philosophy that everybody must get an equal chance to host a World Cup,” said Oberholzer.
“New Zealand and South Africa will not make the money out of a World Cup that World Rugby needs.
“I don’t think it’s a negative on us. It is more what is more important for the best interest of rugby.”
The Boks have won four World Cups to date. While Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry – a regular series between the Boks and All Blacks, which kicks off in 2026 – will be staged in South Africa every eight years and the British & Irish Lions tour every 12, it’s a shame that the most successful World Cup team in history may not get another chance to compete for the title on home soil.
After several failed attempts to secure the rights, it seems that SA Rugby has accepted World Rugby’s stance on the matter.
“The World Cup is the only revenue stream for World Rugby that must fund the whole ecosystem, and all the members get some funding out of a World Cup,” said Oberholzer.
“So World Rugby must take the World Cup to where they can make the most money, and to go where they will be supported by local and national governments.
“I cannot see that the potential money generated out of South Africa will be the same as what is generated in Europe or maybe somewhere in the Middle East. World Rugby will drive World Cups to where they believe they can make the most money, and we all have to understand that. “You cannot ask for a World Cup in your country, make less money, and then want the biggest slice of the cake when it comes to the annual grant that we get from World Rugby,” he added.
According to World Rugby, every World Cup host is confirmed eight years in advance “to optimise the value, reach and impact of Rugby World Cup”.
This model, delivered through collaboration with governments, World Rugby member unions and key stakeholders, ensures “consistent delivery standards, brand integrity, and maximised revenues”.
The 2023 World Cup in France attracted more than 2.3 million people to grounds around the country and generated 1.33 billion viewing hours, while commercially, it delivered a record surplus of £472 million (approximately R10-billion) for reinvestment back into the game.
According to World Rugby’s figures, the 2023 tournament was the most viewed rugby event of all time, and achieved 30% more viewership than the 2015 World Cup in England, and 19% more than the 2019 tournament in Japan.
Growing viewership was observed in emerging markets such as Germany, Italy and the USA – and again, it’s important to note that the latter country will host the tournament for the first time in 2031.
The bidding process for the 2035 event is already under way. Argentina, Japan and Spain are among the countries to have submitted initial expressions of interest.
In March earlier this year, Saudi Arabia abandoned its plans to host the 2035 World Cup as a result of the Public Investment Fund’s new financial strategy.
The ongoing war in Iran is expected to impact on the PIF’s spending in the coming years, and at this stage, it appears as if other sports such as golf, football and Formula One will be prioritised. The deadline for submitting a formal bid is October 2026.
World Rugby will identify a preferred bidder in May 2027 before an appointment is made by the World Rugby Council. The next host will be unveiled at some point during the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
World Rugby has said the selection process will be structured around four core principles: commercial optimisation, operational control through the ownerorganiser model, contractual certainty prior to appointment, and transparency through a fair, collaborative and fully evaluated host-selection process.
The 2035 selection process will operate independently of the Women’s World Cup 2037, which will have its own standalone process.
More recently, Australia and the USA were awarded the rights to host the men’s as well as the women’s tournaments.
“Rugby World Cups are the sport’s greatest platform, and the men’s edition fuels the growth and sustainability of the sport,” said World Rugby chair, Brett Robinson.
“The process we are launching for 2035 sits at the very heart of our renewed strategy to grow the reach, strength and impact of the global game for our members.
“Following historic tournaments in the USA, we see 2035 as another major opportunity to unlock new audiences and additional value while ensuring Rugby World Cup continues to inspire and unite the world through rugby.”
Will South African stakeholders accept that? Will we never see another World Cup on these shores? Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie is among those who have not lost hope.
“We have the best players, the best teams, the best World Cup team – we’ve won the World Cup multiple times – we have to [host] the World Cup,” he told News24 this May.
“I’m not going to rest until I do that.” The minister confirmed that SA Rugby would need massive backing from the government to get its bid off the ground, and meet World Rugby’s financial and commercial demands.
“President Mark Alexander and CEO Rian Oberholzer have stabilised the finances at SA Rugby, so they can’t go and make a commitment on this, on behalf of government,” explained McKenzie.
“I’m going to work very hard to get that guarantee, but I first want to get sponsors to come on board. Then we’ll go to SA Rugby and say to them, ‘Mark, go get us that World Cup.’”
In response to McKenzie’s comments, Alexander said that SA Rugby as an organisation “hasn’t applied our minds to that yet… we haven’t had a discussion. Previously, we decided that we won’t bid for a World Cup.”
While calls for another Rugby World Cup in South Africa look set to continue, it may be another a decade or two before we see another global tournament in this country, if at all.
