Saudi Arabia, UAE & Qatar Announce Bid to Host 2035 Rugby World Cup

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have formally launched a joint bid to host the 2035 or 2039 Rugby World Cup. If successful, this would be the first time the tournament is staged in the Middle East. The announcement has been met with support from Asia Rugby, the regional governing body, which has called for the competition to return to Asia following Japan’s successful hosting in 2019.

Qais Al Dhalai, President of Asia Rugby, described the joint Gulf bid as a potential turning point for the sport’s global growth, particularly through its embrace of a multi-nation hosting model. Al Dhalai highlighted the success of similar approaches in other sports such as football, and noted that scheduling the event during the winter months—December through January—could help mitigate the region’s extreme summer heat. Such a timeline would require coordination with the global rugby calendar, including possible changes to the timing of the Six Nations tournament.

The bid is expected to face competition from other potential hosts including Italy and Spain, with the formal selection process likely to begin in the next two years. The next two editions of the tournament are already assigned, with Australia hosting in 2027 and 2029, followed by the United States in 2031 and 2033.