The Rugby World Cup is heading down under in 2027 for the men's and 2029 for the women's tournaments after Australia was awarded hosting rights for the blockbuster global events last night.
World Rugby has announced Australia's successful bid, with the win representing an exciting achievement for rugby in Australia.
The Rugby World Cup is hosted every four years and is widely recognised as one of the world's biggest events after the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup.
The men's Rugby World Cup brings together 20 international teams from around the globe to play 48 matches over seven weeks.
The McGowan Government threw its support behind the bid for the men's tournament last year and is also working with Rugby Australia to be a host city for the women's world tournament.
World Rugby executives and the Australian 2027 bid team were in Perth last month for a final presentation by the Government and Tourism WA at Optus Stadium.
Host cities and venues will now be finalised following the host country's decision.
The two international tournaments are expected to attract a significant number of visitors and provide extensive international media exposure.
When Perth last hosted the men's tournament in 2003 at the old Subiaco Oval, $41 million in visitor spend was generated in Western Australia.
More than 3,400 interstate and almost 15,000 international visitors came to WA to watch participating nations England, Georgia, Samoa, South Africa and Uruguay in action.
The 2027 and 2029 Rugby World Cups will be significantly bigger, both in terms of revenue, jobs, trade and investment
The Australian bid team projects that the events will generate $2.8 billion in direct and indirect expenditure to the economy and create 14,000 jobs.
As stated by State Development, Jobs and Trade and Tourism Minister Roger Cook:
"This is another major milestone in Western Australia's major event strategy.
"The State Government has been working closely with Rugby Australia to ensure WA plays a major role in this truly international sporting championship.
"The World Rugby officials were blown away with what Perth and WA had to offer when I met them recently at Optus Stadium.
"Securing a global spectacle of this kind and bringing matches to WA will showcase to the world that Perth is a vibrant, desirable and exciting travel destination.
"The benefits flow through to our tourism and hospitality industries and the wider economy, helping to create jobs and investment opportunities for WA businesses.
"The recent securing of an international rugby union test match in Perth, Wallabies v England, shows that rugby fever in WA is strong, and hosting the Rugby World Cup will provide yet another opportunity to grow Perth's reputation on the world stage."
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman:
"Hosting a world-class international event such as the Rugby World Cup provides inspiration to the entire community, especially for our young and upcoming rugby players.
"We continue to work with World Rugby and Rugby Australia on hosting matches in Perth, and with the world's best teams playing for World Cup glory, if we secure some games, WA locals will be able to cheer teams on in what will be a truly memorable experience.
"Perth's major sporting venues have repeatedly shown their ability to host successful and well-attended major international events, and the Rugby World Cup would be no exception."
