According to reports, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar are preparing a joint bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2035.
If it were to materialize, it would be the first time that the most important tournament in this sport is held in the region, following the example of football, whose 2022 World Cup was held in Qatar.
The bid has the backing of Rugby Asia, interested in bringing the event back to the continent, following the success of the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
As our leaders in the Gulf believe, nothing is impossible. I foresee that this could happen in 2035.
Qais Al Dhalai, President of Rugby Asia
Al Dhalai advocates for a multi-host city model, similar to what has been implemented in football since 2002, with Japan and South Korea, and which will be repeated in Mexico, the United States and Canada in 2026, and in Spain, Morocco and Portugal in 2030.
A multiple venue could be a successful story and a new model for rugby. UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia. Why not? The stadiums are ready there. It will be the most successful event in rugby history.
Qais Al Dhalai, Rugby Asia chairman
However, the bid faces several challenges. None of the three nations have previously participated in a World Cup. United Arab Emirates currently holds the highest position in the world ranking, at 48th, while Qatar is in 87th place. Saudi Arabia is not currently listed in the ranking of 118 countries.
If they were to host, World Rugby would be forced to make rule changes regarding tournament qualification, to allow for the participation of the host nations.
In addition, the tournament calendar would have to be modified, since the current dates from September to October are too hot for sports practice, which would force the event to be moved to December or January.
This would alter the global rugby calendar, as the Six Nations is traditionally held between February and March, while national leagues, such as Super Rugby Pacific in the southern hemisphere, begin in mid-February.
The bid would face competition from Italy and Spain, which are also preparing separate bids, as well as from the traditional powerhouse, South Africa.
I don’t want to underestimate other candidacies, and I believe that South Africa and other European countries could also be interested, but if World Rugby worked hard on this with a solid plan, it could happen in 2035.
Qais Al Dhalai, President of Rugby Asia
It’s not the first time rugby has attracted the attention of the Middle East region, as the 2028 edition of the Nations Cup finals, a new cross-hemisphere test competition that will begin next year, is scheduled to be held in Doha.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways is the main sponsor of the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour to Australia and has funded Springboks test matches against the All Blacks and Wales at Twickenham.
The bidding process for the 2035 World Cup will begin in the next two years.
Australia will host the next men’s edition in 2027, before the women’s event in 2029, and the United States will host the men’s and women’s editions in 2031 and 2033.
