Europe could face a lengthy wait before hosting another men's Rugby World Cup, with the next two tournaments already heading elsewhere and the race for 2035 now taking shape.
Australia will stage the 2027 Rugby World Cup, four years after France hosted the tournament in 2023.
The competition will then head to the United States for the first time in 2031, meaning Europe is already guaranteed to miss out on the next two editions.
And that wait could now stretch all the way to 2039.
The latest developments come after Argentina confirmed its bid to host the Rugby World Cup alongside three other nations.
Race for 2035 takes shape
World Rugby has officially launched the process to decide the host of the 2035 Rugby World Cup, with several countries putting themselves forward.
Argentina is at the centre of an ambitious South American proposal alongside Uruguay, Chile and Brazil.
The four nations have now submitted the required technical information to World Rugby as they attempt to bring the men's tournament to South America for the first time.
The proposal includes 11 stadiums, with eight located in Argentina.
The Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, the National Stadium in Santiago and the Centenario in Montevideo are also included in the plans.
Spain has also taken a significant step in the process, submitting its Applicant Questionnaire to World Rugby.
Japan has officially entered the race too, while Italy has previously made clear its desire to stage the tournament in 2035.
There could yet be further competition, with South Africa and England also linked with the race to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup.
Europe could wait until 2039
That leaves Europe with a realistic chance of bringing the World Cup back to the continent through a successful European bid.
However, should World Rugby instead choose the South American proposal or Japan, Europe would miss out on a third successive men's tournament.
The hosting sequence would then read:
2023 – France2027 – Australia2031 – United States2035 – South America or Japan
That would leave 2039 as the next opportunity for Europe to host the men's Rugby World Cup, some 16 years after France staged the 2023 tournament.
World Rugby is expected to identify its preferred candidate in May 2027, before the final host appointment is made by the World Rugby Council in November 2027.
With multiple countries already positioning themselves for 2035, the battle to stage rugby's biggest tournament is beginning to heat up.
