The Rugby Rubicon: Will Middle East money transform World Cup?

Ruck&Maul Column

When Japan won the rights to host the 2019 Rugby World Cup, I wasn’t too excited.

The decision was made in July 2009, with England chosen for the 2015 edition and Japan four years later.

While Japan had competed in previous tournaments, they were far from a ‘real’ rugby nation at that stage.

Yet, they broke all sorts of records in every respect of the event as they staged arguably the most successful RWC of all time.

Of course, it held special significance for South Africans as Siya Kolisi went on to lift the Webb Ellis Cup in 2019.

And it was especially memorable personally, as I was at the Yokohama Stadium on that unforgettable night, having been honoured to be part of the Rugby News Service team for the tournament website as the reporter on the Springboks.

Now, the latest rumour is that the 2035 Rugby World Cup could be held in another unfamiliar location.

The Times of London reported this week that Rugby Asia is backing a bid from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to welcome the Boks, All Blacks and other powerhouses to the Middle East in 10 years’ time.

The 2027 edition will be held in Australia, while 2031 will breach new frontiers in the shape of the United States (unless Donald Trump doesn’t want the Boks to enter the 50 states in North America) – although the US do have a rugby history and played in the World Cup before.

Now, there was already an outcry from rugby fans on social media about the Middle East plan.

There were valid reasons stated too, such as the ‘sportswashing’ claims against the Saudis in particular, while all three nations are not rugby countries by any stretch of the imagination.

It’s all about the money, the general refrain goes. But isn’t that what the oval-ball game has been crying for over the last decade or so?

In South Africa, we’ve seen many of the top Boks playing in overseas leagues, and people like Bulls boss Jake White want them all back in Mzansi.

The likes of Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and next season Handré Pollard have returned home already, but the overall picture is that South African rugby is better off with big salaries being paid by overseas clubs to those top Boks – mainly due to the exchange rate and lack of big bucks available at home.

But what if that can be solved by the serious financial injection that a World Cup in Saudi, Qatar and UAE would provide to the game?

What about the likes of the Cheetahs, Griquas, Southern Kings and Boland, who should actually be competing in competitions like the United Rugby Championship?

Abroad, we’ve seen a few English clubs go under, and some SA players like Nizaam Carr being directly affected by it. Surely the English Premiership should have more than the current 10 clubs?

And here’s the real possible game-changer from big-money influx: ensuring that Tier Two rugby teams like Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Georgia and others become serious competitors at the highest level.

Who knows, one of those nations could clinch the Webb Ellis Cup themselves if they could fund proper rugby leagues at home instead of having their best players in France especially.

There have been truly positive developments on the sponsorship front in SA rugby in recent weeks reportedly valued at over R200 million, which has even led to some wondering whether the much-maligned equity deal is even necessary.

But let’s be serious: as much as rugby is a professional sport, it is still very amateurish in many ways.

I’m sure the big pros in soccer are laughing at the kinds of salaries that their rugby counterparts are receiving.

But while rugby is unlikely to ever be on a level playing field with soccer in that regard, they could take a significant step forward if they do opt to go the Middle East route for either 2035 or 2039.

Qatar hosted a highly successful 2022 Fifa World Cup, with red-hot action on the field matched by wonderful spirit off it, by all accounts from the visiting fans – despite the ban on alcohol, which is also a major part of the enjoyment factor for many rugby supporters.

Qatar Airways have also got involved in rugby sponsorship in the URC and the famous cup that they hosted between the Springboks and All Blacks at Twickenham.

Emirates Airlines host the Dubai Sevens, and sponsor the Lions in Johannesburg too, as well as having naming rights to Ellis Park Stadium.

Playing in the Middle East, though, would result in a change of scheduling from the usual September-October window to probably December-January, which would disrupt other leagues and competitions like the Champions Cup.

But imagine the possibilities if the likes of Saudi and UAE get involved in the World Cup, as there have been major sports events held in the region in recent years, such as boxing bouts and Formula One races, while cricket is a staple in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi too.

So, will World Rugby cross the Rubicon to the Middle East?