Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE eye joint bid for 2035 Rugby World Cup
If everything goes according to plan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE could launch a joint bid to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup, which if successful, would bring the tournament to the Middle East for the first time.
Asia Rugby is backing the proposal, which would mark the first time rugby’s showpiece event is hosted across multiple countries. The 2019 men’s event was held in Japan.
Asia Rugby President Qais Al Dhalai, who is also Vice-President of UAE Rugby, has thrown his weight behind the bid. “As our leaders in the Gulf believe, nothing is impossible. I foresee this as something that might happen in 2035,” he was quoted as saying by the UK’s The Times newspaper.
Al Dhalai, who said the region’s stadiums were ready, believes the model could replicate football’s successful multi-country World Cup formats.
“I’m in favour of a multi-city hosting model, not a single host. That’s proven to work in football. They’ve done it since 2002 when Japan and South Korea hosted, and are doing it again in Mexico, USA, and Canada in 2026, and then again with Spain, Morocco, and Portugal in 2030. Why not rugby?
“A multi-host could be a successful story and a new model for rugby. UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia. Why not? The stadiums are ready there. It will be the most successful event in the history of rugby.”
Australia will host the next men’s World Cup in 2027, then will take the women’s tournament in 2029, with the United States following with men’s and women’s competitions in 2031 and 2033.
The bidding process for the 2035 World Cup will start in the next two years.
However, one major hurdle to the dream is that none of the three countries have qualified for the World Cup before. Current rules require every host nation to qualify. While UAE is ranked 48th in the world, Qatar is at 87, and Saudi Arabia is unranked. So if the competition is to be held in the Middle East, World Rugby would have to change their existing rules.
However, top Asian Rugby officials are hopeful all three teams will rise quickly through the rankings by playing more Tests over the next decade. They also believe Asia has the fanbase — and crucially — the financial might to convince traditionalists to back a bid.
If they were successful, the Gulf states would push for their World Cup to start in December, with a final in January, as istead of the usual September-October slot.
It could prove troublesome for the rugby calendar, especially in the northern hemisphere.
However, there has been a precedent when a similar shift was made for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Saudi Arabia is set to stage the tournament during the same time in 2034.
The bidding process will begin within two years, with Italy, Spain, and South Africa also expected to enter.
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