(ATR) The perpetual question of money or development is particularly pressing for rugby’s premier event.
World Rugby traditionally uses the Rugby World Cup as its primary commercial engine, with some 90 percent of all revenues coming from the event. England 2015 was the commercial highwater for World Rugby, generating around $500 million for the federation.
Japan will host the 2019 Rugby World Cup and France follows four years later. Both are traditional rugby-playing nations and both are expected to deliver a large financial windfall.
But 2027 poses a more vexing situation. While the bid process won’t open until 2020, bids are expected from Ireland, a rugby powerhouse, as well as Argentina and the United States among others. The latter two represent new hosts with unknown rugby marketing possibilities.
"We’re in a lucky position with the Rugby World Cup with many countries who have applied to to host it," World Rugby Chairman BIll Beaumont told reporters during the Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco.
Beaumont assessed the yet-to-be-determined field of candidates saying: "we have to have the the philosophical debate going forward--do you always keep chasing the dollar or to the promotion of the game.
"We have to weigh up the balance between the commercial success, which is imperative for the funding of the world game, and the development of the game."
Should the U.S. bid for and win the 2027 Rugby World Cup it would be sandwiched between the football World Cup and Olympics in Los Angeles.
Brett Gosper, CEO of World Rugby said that carries risks but also has some precedence in rugby.
"That can create some great synergies in the case of Japan where we’re heading in before the Olympics as we are in France," he said. "We believe that the upside of the momentum of two major global sporting events is a good thing.
"I think you’ve got to take it case by case. Certainly that will be considered in an evaluation on a bid."
Gosper confirmed that the 2027 Rugby Would Cup would "most likely" be in October-November as the 12-year rugby calendar was set to accommodate that time frame.
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