Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan backs more transparent World Cup process as Australia prepares 2027 bid

Three years ago, World Rugby’s board recommended South Africa should be awarded hosting rights for 2023, over France and Ireland. But in the days after the recommendation was made public, France went to work behind the scenes to take votes off South Africa.

There were audible gasps when France stunned South Africa to win the hosting rights 24-15 in the final round of voting. The result prompted World Rugby to launch a review into the process.

The other major tweak to the system is that an open electronic vote will take place with the results to be published. It means for the first time unions will be able to see who each country voted for. The hope is that with greater transparency and less secrecy, countries won’t do back-room deals to get votes.

While media outlets have previously reported which alliances were formed, World Rugby wants everything out in the open and McLennan is a fan of the changes.

“Obviously we think the World Cup needs to come south and the more transparency the better,” he told the Herald.

Australia is a good chance of hosting the 2027 World Cup, with Russia the only other nation to publicly announce its desire to put in a bid.

World Rugby will begin accepting submissions in February, but a decision is not expected to be made until May 2022.

Other potential host nations could still come forward and McLennan is reluctant to prematurely talk up Australia’s chances of hosting the tournament for the first time since 2003.

“Sir Rod [Eddington] and I were chatting recently with the board and we’re taking nothing for granted with our bid,” McLennan said. “Everyone is motivated, we’re meeting regularly and we’ve got the money from the government, which is good. We’re probably the most advanced bid so far.”

The federal government has pledged to give Rugby Australia $8.8 million to secure hosting rights for a tournament organisers believe will create 12,000 jobs, attract 200,000 international visitors and generate $2.2 billion.

Loading

Former prime minister John Howard, former governor-general Peter Cosgrove and International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates, among others, have been appointed to a bid advisory board that also features Wallabies greats Phil Kearns, John Eales and Gary Ella.