Tag: Rugby Union

24Jan By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Venues & Stadiums

Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia: the stadiums and host cities

Eight world-class stadiums across seven cities in Australia have been selected to host games at the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027. From Perth Stadium, set to host the opening match on 1 October 2027 with its 60,000-seat capacity, to Stadium Australia in Sydney | Wangal, the stage for the final on 13 November with 82,000 seats, fans can expect venues with cutting-edge facilities, perfectly suited for this expanded edition featuring 24 teams. Several venues will be familiar to fans who experienced the last Rugby World Cup in Australia, with five stadiums returning from 2003, including Adelaide Oval and Brisbane Stadium. Docklands Stadium in Melbourne | Narrm stands out as the only venue with a retractable roof, which will remain closed for all matches, while North Queensland Stadium in To...

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4Jan By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Calendars, Events

Rugby union 2026 calendar: international Tests and club finals

The 2026 international rugby union calendar promises a packed year of elite competition, major tournaments, and high-stakes Test matches across both hemispheres. With World Cup cycles resetting and new formats emerging, the global game will showcase rising nations, historic rivalries and expanded international windows designed to grow rugby’s reach. The year begins with the traditional northern hemisphere showpiece, the Six Nations Championship (February-March 2026). England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy will battle across five intense rounds, with France and Ireland expected to continue their rivalry at the top of European rugby. Running parallel in Asia and the Americas are key regional championships and qualification fixtures as unions prepare for the next Rugby World C...

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30Nov By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business

World Rugby and Emirates extend record-breaking partnership to at least 2035

World Rugby and Emirates have announced a landmark multi-tournament partnership, the biggest, longest and most wide ranging in the history of rugby union’s global governing body. Strengthening a long-standing relationship that will run through to at least 2035, the renewal cements Dubai-based airline Emirates as a World Rugby Platinum Partner and Principal Partner of the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups for the next decade.The expanded agreement covers every Rugby World Cup through 2035, including the Men’s and Women’s Rugby World Cups in Australia in 2027 and 2029, the 2031 and 2033 editions in the United States, and the men’s Rugby World Cup 2035, which is already attracting strong early interest from prospective hosts. The deal also includes all global qualifying events, embedding ...

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28Jul By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Editor's Pick, Events, Sports Business

Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 England: fan zone locations confirmed 

England is set to host a nationwide celebration for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, with fan zones unveiled in official host locations across the country. Running from 22 August to 27 September, and with more than 330,000 tickets already sold, the tournament will take place across eight venues throughout England, making it the biggest celebration of women’s rugby ever staged.    The fan zones, which will be free to enter, will be open on match-days and at various times throughout the six-week tournament, offering fans, residents and visitors a chance to enjoy the atmosphere and take part in the biggest celebration of women’s rugby.  At the heart of the action will be Battersea Power Station, which has been unveiled as the official tournament fan zone in London, in partnership with ...

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7Mar By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business

Ticketmaster appointed as official provider for Rugby World Cups in 2027 and 2029

World Rugby has announced Ticketmaster as the official ticketing service provider for the Men's Rugby World Cup 2027 and Women's Rugby World Cup 2029, both to be hosted in Australia. The appointment builds on the successful partnership for the Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025, which has achieved record ticket sales.  Announcing the collaboration at Ticketmaster’s Legends in Sport event in London, World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin said: “Ticketmaster is playing a key role in supporting our mission to grow the global game by making the sport more accessible and more relevant to a wider and global audience. The collaboration has proven to be particularly successful in making Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 the most sought-after women’s sporting ticket of the year, and the bi...

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30Jan By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business

Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia set to generate AUS$1.3bn in visitor expenditure

World Rugby has unveiled the seven host cities for the 11th edition of the men’s Rugby World Cup, taking place in Australia from 1 October to 13 November 2027. With 250,000 international visitors expected over the six-week period, the tournament is projected to generate AUS$1.3 billion in direct visitor expenditure across the country and seven host cities, while inspiring a nation to embrace rugby, aiming for 200,000 participants by 2029. Selected for their vibrant culture, world-class hospitality and scenic landmarks, the Rugby World Cup 2027 host cities are:  Adelaide | Tarntanya  Brisbane | Meeanjin  Melbourne | Narrm  Newcastle | Awabakal-Worimi  Perth | Boorloo  Sydney | Gadigal  Townsville | Gurambilbarra  Perth | Boorloo will play host to the anticipa...

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19Jan By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Sports Business

World Rugby and STH partner to enhance Rugby World Cup fan experiences

World Rugby has signed an exclusive agreement with Sports Travel & Hospitality (STH), a Sodexo Live! Company, to redefine the premium fan experience for the next three men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups. The ‘RWC Experiences’ programme will bring fans closer to the action than ever before, offering a wide range of ticket-inclusive packages for England 2025 (women), Australia 2027 (men) and Australia 2029 (women). In line with World Rugby’s core mission of advancing the sport’s relevance and accessibility, the deal will see redefined experiences that cater for a diverse audience in an evolving entertainment landscape. Designed to enhance the matchday experience and create unforgettable experiences, the packages will combine innovative travel and hospitality solutions with interact...

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26Dec By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business

Record ticket sales for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025  

The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, taking place in England from 22 August to 27 September, is set to be the biggest sporting event taking place in the UK in 2025. It has already smashed records as the fastest-selling edition of the tournament ever, with more than 220,000 tickets sold to date.  With just over eight months to go until the opening match between England and the USA on 22 August, the continued strong interest in Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 has led to ballots for high-demand fixtures, including England’s pool matches and the final at Twickenham Stadium. The surge in demand ensures that it will be the biggest Women’s Rugby World Cup in history. Sarah Massey, managing director of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, said: "The response to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 has been remar...

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3Aug By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Editor's Pick, Sports Business

Qatar Airways partners with British & Irish Lions for Australia 2025 tour

Qatar Airways has been announced as the official title partner and official airline partner of the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia in 2025. The tour will see the Lions – a combined team of the best rugby union players from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales – take on the Wallabies in three Test matches as well as a number of games against Australian teams. Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will host the first of three Tests on Saturday 19 July 2025. The second Test will be played on Saturday 26 July 2025 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), and the final Test will be played at Sydney’s Accor Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday 2 August 2025. In preparation for the first Test, the Lions will face a combined Australian and New Zealand team at the Adelaide Oval, whi...

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14Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Calendars, Events

International rugby union 2024 calendar

2024 rugby union events and tournaments INTERNATIONAL RUGBY UNION The men's and women's Six Nations and the summer and autumn international Test matches are on the rugby union calendar in 2024. Events in 2024 2 February-16 March: men's Six Nations 23 March-27 April: women's Six Nations 22 July-27 July: men's summer internationals 10 August-28 September: Rugby Championship 2-30 November: men's autumn internationals Major tournaments, events and fixtures Men's Six Nations 2025 Round 1 Friday 31 January 2025: France vs. Wales (Stade de France, Paris)Saturday 1 Februar...

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31May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Travel

100 days to go until the Rugby World Cup 2023 in France

Celebrations are taking place throughout France to mark the 100-day countdown to the start of the Rugby World Cup 2023. With a little under three months to go until the 20 nations arrive in France, final preparations are underway for rugby union’s 200th birthday party. There will be 48 matches taking place across ten host destinations: Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse. Hosts France will face New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament at the 80,698-capacity Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Friday 8 September. The Rugby World Cup final will be played on Saturday 28 October 2023, also at the Stade de France. On Tuesday 30 May, the Webb Ellis Cup arrived in Paris on an Emirates A380 with bespoke Rugby World Cup 2023 l...

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5May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business, Sports Travel

WXV: the new international competition for elite women’s rugby

World Rugby has announced the first host locations and dates for WXV – the new international competition for elite women’s rugby. Starting in October 2023, WXV has a mission to raise the profile and competitiveness of women’s 15s by providing the global platform between Rugby World Cups to increase the reach, impact and value of the sport, growing the game as a whole. It will also double the number of annual international fixtures for most competing teams, combining with World Rugby’s “Accelerate” programme to raise standards at Rugby World Cup 2025 and beyond. Host locations Fresh off the back of hosting a record-breaking Rugby World Cup where the Black Ferns were crowned champions, New Zealand will welcome the world’s best women's teams in the six-nation top level WXV 1 across ...

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28Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business, Venues & Stadiums

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to host EPCR rugby finals in 2024

European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) has confirmed that the 2024 Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup finals will be held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. The 2024 EPCR Finals Weekend will take place on Friday 24 May and Saturday 25 May. Home to Premier League football club Spurs, the multi-purpose venue, which was opened in April 2019, has become a prime destination for a wide range of major events including NFL, boxing and music concerts. The stadium has previously hosted major rugby fixtures including two Saracens Gallagher Premiership ties and a Barbarian FC vs. All Blacks XV match.  Dominic McKay, EPCR chairman, said: “It is quite simply one of the most exciting venues in the world and an incredibly appropriate stage for next year’s showpiece...

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10Jan By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Calendars, Events, Guides, Sports Travel

Rugby union: 2023 Six Nations men’s and women’s fixtures and dates

European rugby union takes centre stage in February and March 2023 with the men’s Guinness Six Nations championship. Featuring England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, games will be played over five rounds. In 2022 France won the championship and the grand slam. The 2023 edition of the Six Nations will also be a big part of preparations ahead of the men’s 2023 Rugby World Cup in September and October.   Following the conclusion of the men’s Six Nations, it’s the turn of the women’s teams. The 2023 Women’s Six Nations championship begins with the first round of fixtures on 25-26 March and finishes with round five on 29 April. Guinness Six Nations Fanzones Each year, millions of rugby fans attend the Guinness Six Nations matches, and more than 100,000,000 tune in across ...

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16May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Travel

Rugby World Cup host nations confirmed from 2025 to 2033

Rugby union's global governing body World Rugby has confirmed the locations for the next three women’s and two men’s Rugby World Cups. At its annual meeting in Dublin, Ireland, on 12 May the World Rugby Council unanimously approved the staging of the Rugby World Cup in the following countries: England to host Rugby World Cup 2025 (women’s)Australia to host Rugby World Cup 2027 (men’s) and 2029 (women’s)USA to host Rugby World Cup 2031 (men’s) and 2033 (women’s) World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said: “We have approved three exceptional Rugby World Cup host nations – England, Australia and USA – providing unprecedented certainty and an unparalleled opportunity to accelerate the growth and impact of rugby globally. It is great for rugby, for fans and for the host nations. “The conf...

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5Feb By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Guides, Sports Travel

2022 Six Nations: men’s and women’s fixtures

International rugby union will be a major focus on the sporting schedule in early 2022 when the Guinness Six Nations championship takes place in Europe.  Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England, France and Italy will be competing for the men's championship, which starts on Saturday 5 February and finishes on Saturday 19 March 2022. The women's championship will be held from Saturday 26 March to Saturday 30 April. Related articles International rugby union in 2022A sports travel guide to… CardiffA sports travel guide to… Edinburgh A sports travel guide to… London Subscribe to our monthly newsletter Men's Six Nations 2022 fixtures  - England: Twickenham Stadium, London- France: Stade de France, Paris- Ireland: Aviva Stadium, Dublin- Italy: Stadio Olimpico, Rome- Scotland: BT...

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15May By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Guides

British & Irish Lions: fixtures and venues confirmed for tour of South Africa

The schedule has been confirmed for the British & Irish Lions’s tour of South Africa this summer. Warren Gatland’s side will play five warm-up matches before taking on the Springboks in three Tests.  All eight games will be played in Gauteng or Cape Town, the Lions said. This is to “minimise the risks of disruption that could be caused by the Covid-19 pandemic” and the schedule “accommodates stable team bases and training venues and significantly reduces travel”. SA Rugby will organise all scheduled tour games “on the basis they will take place behind closed doors”. Lions managing director Ben Calveley said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has caused considerable disruption to the global sporting calendar, but after discussions with our partners at SA Rugby, we are very pleased to be...

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13Apr By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events

Barbarians to face Samoa in the Killik Cup at Twickenham

Rugby union fans will get the chance to watch some free-flowing attacking rugby this autumn when the Barbarians take on Samoa in the Killik Cup.  The match takes place at Twickenham Stadium in London on Saturday 27 November and tickets go on general sale at 10am on Thursday 15 April. Available from Ticketmaster, ticket prices start from £35 for adults and £15 for children. VIP and hospitality packages will be available from £119 per person via twickenhamstadium.com It will be just the second time the teams have met, the first being at London’s Olympic Park ahead of Rugby World Cup 2015, which marked the first-ever rugby match at the venue.  John Spencer, president of Barbarian FC, said: “We are very happy to announce our 2021 Killik Cup fixture this November and look forward ...

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28Mar By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events

British & Irish Lions intend to tour South Africa as planned in 2021

After months of speculation the British & Irish Lions rugby union team have confirmed they intend to tour South Africa as planned this summer.  There had been reports that the series could be moved to the UK or even played in Australia. However, in an update issued on 23 March the Lions and SA Rugby said they are “aligned on delivering the Castle Lager Lions Series in South Africa in the scheduled playing window”.  Jason Leonard, chairman of the British & Irish Lions, said: “After reviewing information relating to the various contingency scenarios being considered, I can confirm that the board’s intended position is for the tour to go ahead as scheduled in South Africa in 2021. “We acknowledge that there is a significant amount of work still to be undertaken to d...

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2Mar By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events, Sports Business

Women’s Rugby World Cup set to be postponed until 2022

World Rugby has recommended the postponement of the 2021 Rugby World Cup until next year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.  The women’s international rugby union event was due to take place in New Zealand in September and October. The recommendation will be considered by the Rugby World Cup Board and World Rugby Executive Committee on 8 March and 9 March respectively. In a statement World Rugby said: “While appreciating the recommendation is extremely disappointing for teams and fans, it has their interests at heart, and gives the tournament the best opportunity to be all it can be for them, all New Zealanders and the global rugby family. “The recommendation is based on the evolution of the uncertain and challenging global Covid-19 landscape. It has become clear in recent disc...

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