TASMANIA HOPING TO CASH IN ON CUP FEVER
TASMANIA could soon welcome the world’s third biggest sporting event with Rugby Tasmania hoping to secure four Rugby World Cup matches in 2027 and 2029.
In a huge announcement on Thursday night it was revealed Australia would host both the
2027 Rugby World Cup and the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Tasmania will now join other hopeful Australian states and cities in bidding for hosting rights for the mammoth event with Rugby Australia and World Rugby to work in conjunction to decide on the successful applicants at a later date.
At a special celebratory junior clinic held in Hobart on Friday morning by legendary Wallaby Lote Tuqiri, Tasmanian Rugby President Ebony Altimira said they were preparing to re-start discussions with the Tasmanian Government about the state’s bid.
“This is huge and very exciting to get the World Cup to Australia and it’s a huge boost to not only rugby but the economy and tourism and so on,” Altimira said.
“We’ve been working with the State Government already and had some conversations and hopefully now we have the announcement we can have those conversations again and start to put in a bid for Tasmania,” she said.
Altimira said they were hopeful of securing two games for the men’s
World Cup in 2027 and two in the women’s World Cup in 2029.
And she said that Launceston’s UTAS Stadium would be the venue of choice due to it being the only facility in the state that fits the required regulations.
“We had a game there in 2003. “And that was a fantastic event and really got the community behind it.
“If we can get more games for Tassie it will be fantastic for us and really see rugby grow in Tassie.
“Something like the World Cup would be huge for us to get kids out on the park and see their idols.
“And having world best rugby players here in Australia is going to be fantastic.”
Tuqiri, a duel-code rugby star who was part of the Wallabies 2003 and 2007 World Cup Squads, said the World Cup would be a great opportunity to grow the sport around the country.
“I think this announcement and having another World Cup in Australia is massive for rugby and for grassroots rugby,” he said.
“Hopefully we can take this game around Australia and promote it as much as we can before the World Cup and it’ll have a long lasting effect after it and be great for the game.
“Tasmanians love sport and Aussies love sport.
“And I think if we get games down here you’d have to get on the cricket train pretty quick.”