Rugby Australia says hosting World Cups will 'save the game'

Hosting the men's Rugby World Cup in 2027 and the women's tournament in 2029 will be a lifeline for the game in Australia, the country's cash-strapped governing body said on Friday.

"In truth, it was the only option we had to save the game," Rugby Australia (RA) chairperson Hamish McLennan told the Sydney Morning Herald after World Rugby confirmed the hosts for the next five World Cups.

With rugby union struggling in a packed Australian sports market, McLennan hopes for an Aus$100 million (US$69 million) windfall generated from hosting the two tournaments that can be invested in the future.

"This is a historic day for rugby in Australia. We're beyond thrilled," he said.

"It's a game-changer for rugby in this country, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revitalise and secure the future of the sport here and see the game we all love grow and thrive for years to come."

Rugby Australia has not recovered since recording an Aus$27.1 million loss in the Covid-enforced sporting shutdown in 2020.

Rugby union historically struggles for attention in Australia, where rugby league and AFL (Australian rules football) are the main winter sports.

Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up in green and gold Thursday, hours before the World Cup announcement, in anticipation of the financial lifeline.

Wallabies legend Tim Horan, a World Cup winner in 1991 and 1999, tweeted that the World Cups coming to the country were "the most significant moment in Australian rugby history since winning the RWC in 1991 that put rugby on the map in Oz".

"Hosting men's 2027 and women's 2029 RWC will grow participation and provide financial security for our game for generations," he said.

The two World Cups are expected to provide a much-needed publicity boost for