South Africa’s reluctance to bid to host the 2035 or 2039 Rugby World Cup is undoubtedly a major blow to international rugby union.
Spain, Italy, and Japan have been touted as potential hosts for the tournament, but South Africa was also expected to be a strong contender.
They attempted to acquire hosting rights for the last four editions of the Rugby World Cup, but were unsuccessful on each occasion.
SA Rugby president Mark Alexander has now confirmed that the prospect of South Africa hosting either of the upcoming tournaments is remote.
“It just brings so many other challenges to the country,” Alexander said. “People think it is just a sports event, but so many other things have to be activated.
“I will tell SA Rugby not to do this. We are a third-world country. Our economy is not strong, and we have to act responsibly.
“I know sport does a lot for social cohesion, but I think it would be unfair on the government to put up guarantees.”
It seems unthinkable to imagine a scenario where the three highest-ranked nations in the sport are unlikely to stage the Rugby World Cup for the foreseeable future.
Alexander has made South Africa’s position crystal clear, and New Zealand does not have the infrastructure to mount a realistic bid for the tournament.
Ireland wanted to host the 2023 edition but failed to garner support from Scotland—another unwelcome issue for a sport renowned for shooting itself in the foot.
Australia (2027) and the United States (2031) are the next two hosts, but nothing has been determined beyond those tournaments.
France suffered a sizeable financial loss at the 2023 Rugby World Cup despite World Rugby generating record-breaking revenues of £429 million.
Rugby union in Ireland is also running at a loss, and many other top nations are reportedly struggling to make ends meet in an increasingly competitive sports market.
While World Rugby justifiably argues that its remit is to grow the sport globally rather than favour the top nations, its stance is causing major headaches.
With many of the sport’s big hitters understandably reluctant to incur financial losses by hosting the Rugby World Cup, the governing body must find a solution.
Middle East nations could be a viable option, although this would raise the same ethical questions that other major sports have encountered in recent years.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are among the nations in the region which have been accused of using professional sports to further their political aims.
However, those countries have insisted they are eager to embrace diversification despite many of their detractors arguing their motives are anything but pure.
Ultimately, World Rugby is caught between a rock and a hard place and may have no other option than to forge stronger links with the Middle East.
The 2028 Nations Championship finals are scheduled to be staged in Qatar and will be a useful indicator of the country’s suitability to host the Rugby World Cup.
However, as professional football discovered, awarding major tournament hosting rights to Middle East nations has the potential to disrupt the domestic game.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was held in November and December, causing major disruption to domestic leagues worldwide.
The impact would potentially be even greater in rugby union, where the traditional calendar has little room for such a seismic change.
Another significant issue is the sport’s profile in the Arab world. Football, boxing, motorsports and golf dominate the landscape, while rugby barely gets a look in.
With none of the Gulf nations up to the required standard to compete in the Rugby World Cup, the sport’s bosses unquestionably face some complex challenges.
While a more equitable split of the tournament’s revenue would arguably provide a short-term solution, the sport must implement a sustainable long-term strategy that benefits all stakeholders.
