RUGBY UNION:

Rugby Australia will make a full-blown push to bring the 2027 Rugby World Cup Down Under.

Rugby Australia president Tim Gavin said the magnitude of the World Cup’s power to ignite the code in the host country had hit him afresh in his first visit to the tournament since Australia’s successful hosting job in 2003.

Japanese fans are going bonkers for their unbeaten Brave Blossoms, who will have a crowd of 72,000 behind them in Yokohama on Sunday when a quarter-final spot is on the line against Scotland.

“We put on a fantastic Rugby World Cup in 2003 and there is no reason we can’t do it again, bigger and better,” former Wallaby Gavin said.

“We have new stadiums coming on line and some fantastic rectangular grounds to watch rugby are already there.”

Gavin agreed on 2027 when asked if it was the perfect target to host the event.

— Jim Tucker