Argentina announce South American bid to host 2035 Rugby World Cup

Argentina have officially announced a bid to host the men's 2035 Rugby World Cup in South America, alongside Uruguay, Chile and Brazil.

The 2027 tournament will be held in Australia, with the United States due to host the next edition in 2031 for the first time.

Argentina – three-time semi-finalists in 2007, 2015 and 2023 – are the only country to have reached a World Cup semi-final to have never hosted the tournament. The Pumas finished third in 2007, their best result at the competition.

Despite previously expressing an interest in hosting the World Cup, this is the first time that Argentina have officially become candidates.

Alongside Uruguay, Chile and Brazil, Argentina on Monday presented World Rugby with the technical information required to submit the bid, completing the candidacy process within the stipulated timeframe.

The process will include the submission of documentation and visits to the proposed host venues, with World Rugby expected to announce its preferred hosts in May 2027, before a final decision is made by its council in November.

If the South American bid is successful, all four countries would host World Cup matches.

The proposed venues in Argentina are the Monumental and José Amalfitani stadiums in Buenos Aires, the Estadio Único Diego Armando Maradona in La Plata, the Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba, the Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero, the Estadio Padre Martearena in Salta, the Malvinas Argentinas stadium in Mendoza and the Estadio Gigante de Arroyito in Rosario.

The proposed venues elsewhere in the region are the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile, and the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay.

The four countries have a combined population of 283 million and the bid points to their growing economies, geographical diversity and experience of hosting major international sporting events, including rugby World Cups, Olympic Games and other multi-sport competitions, said the UAR in a statement.

"The presentation of this candidacy represents a very important step for Argentine rugby and the whole region," said Félix Páez Molina, the president of the Argentine rugby union.

"We have the opportunity to show the world our passion for this sport, our ability to organise big events, and everything that our countries can offer. It is a challenge that we take on with the deep conviction that our region deserves an opportunity of this magnitude."

The bid is being developed with the rugby unions of the participating countries and Sudamérica Rugby, the sport's regional governing body.

'A debt that remains to be settled'

Marcello Calandra, president of Sudamérica Rugby, said the candidacy demonstrated the region's unity and its ability to work towards common goals.

"We are sure that we have done everything necessary to convince World Rugby and Rugby World Cup of everything positive that we offer as a host," he said, adding that the bid had the support of the national and regional governments and rugby communities in all four countries.

"Hosting a World Cup in our region is a debt that remains to be settled and we trust that we are an ideal candidate," Calandra said.

World Rugby has previously highlighted the economic and sporting benefits of hosting the tournament. The 2023 World Cup in France attracted more than 2.3 million spectators and generated 1.33 billion hours of viewing, while the tournament produced a record £472 million surplus for reinvestment in rugby.

The French tournament also generated 1.8 billion euros in spending and a net economic benefit of 871 million euros for the country, according to World Rugby.

Argentina have taken part in every World Cup since the inaugural edition in 1987.

For next year's tournament, Uruguay have qualified for the sixth time and Chile for the second, while Brazil have never made it to the World Cup.

Spain have already announced their candidacy for 2035, while 2019 hosts Japan have expressed their intent to do so.

– TIMES/AFP