Qatar, Emirates and Saudi Arabia in the running for the Rugby World Cup 2035

According to Qais Al Dhalai, president of Asia Rugby, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are preparing a joint candidacy to host the Rugby World Cup in 2035 or 2039. If it succeeds, it would be the first return of the tournament in Asia since the 2019 edition in Japan.

The organization pleads for a more open approach to World Rugby concerning multi-country applications, like what is done in football. However, a modification of the rules would be necessary to allow host countries to participate, none of them having yet managed to qualify for the competition.

The project relies on modern infrastructure already in place and on the financial power of the Gulf countries to guarantee commercial success. Al Dhalai even believes that a World Cup organized in the region would be “the biggest event in the history of rugby”. To avoid high summer heat, the competition could take place between December and January, thus impacting the international calendar.

If the economic potential of this candidacy is undeniable, it raises several questions. On the one hand, the establishment of rugby in these countries remains limited, and it is not certain that such an event can arouse real popular craze. On the other hand, the question of human rights, already pointed out during the 2022 Football World Cup in Qatar, could resurface and arouse debates within the rugby community. Finally, World Rugby will have to arbitrate between the financial benefits of such a project and the desire to preserve the legacy of sport in its traditional bastions.