REPORTS | Huge contender pulls out of race to host 2027 World Cup
Rugby NewsSunday, 16 August 2020 at 13:26
The hosting rights for the 2027 and 2031 men’s Rugby World Cups will be awarded at the same time after a new set of rules governing the holding of major tournaments were announced last week.
The hosts will be unveiled in May 2022, when those for the 2025 and 2029 women’s tournaments will also be decided, World Rugby said in a statement issued to the press.
Current favourites to clinch the 2027 hosting rights, Australia feel the tournament should return to the Southern Hemispehere after what will be a sixteen year gap.
Their only serious rival is thought to be Russia after South Africa pulled out of the race.
According to the Afrikaans newspaper Rapport, SA Rugby, who bid for the 2015 and 2019 World Cup, can no longer afford to host the tournament, therefore it wouldn’t make sense to bid.
5 pairs of rugby players you didn’t know are related
1. Ben & Tom Curry and John & Sam Olver
The Curry twins are the nephew of former England hooker John Olver and cousins of former Northampton Saints fly-half Sam Olver, who is now at Ealing Trailfinders.
2. Nigel Owens & Ioan Nicholas
Scarlets and Wales U20 centre Ioan Nicholas is the cousin of top referee Nigel Owens.
3. Quade Cooper & Sean Maitland
Quade Cooper and Sean Maitland are cousins and were both born in the north of New Zealand. While Cooper moved to Brisbane in his teens and became a star of the Wallabies, Maitland headed to Christchurch to join the Canterbury Crusaders before heeding his Glaswegian grandfather’s words to remember his roots and headed for Scotland.
4. Doug Howlett & Nili Latu
All Black Howlett and Tonga legend Latu are also cousins, sharing family on the Pacific Island.
5. Maro Itoje & Ollie Thorley
Gloucester speedster Thorley is Itoje’s cousin, after his grandfather re-married a Nigerian woman who is the Saracens lock’s aunt.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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