Tag: Rugby Union

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 b...

Read More

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 anticip...

Read More

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 interac...

Read More

3Jan By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Calendars, Events

Rugby union 2025 events: Women’s World Cup, Lions and Six Nations

The 2025 rugby union calendar promises an action-packed year with marquee events that will captivate fans worldwide. Featuring the Women’s Rugby World Cup, the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia, and the ever-popular Six Nations Championship, it’s a year of high-stakes competition. Guinness Men's Six Nations 2025 The 2025 Guinness Men’s Six Nations championship will see England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales battle it over five action-packed weekends of international rugby union. After winning in 2023 and 2024, Ireland will come into the Six Nations aiming for a third successive championship. The championship kicks off on Friday 31 January 2025 with France hosting Wales at the Stade de France in Paris. Then it will conclude with the final round of games on Satu...

Read More

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 rema...

Read More

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, wh...

Read More

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...

Read More

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 ...

Read More

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...

Read More

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 showpiec...

Read More

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...

Read More

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 con...

Read More

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: B...

Read More

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 b...

Read More

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...

Read More

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 ...

Read More

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 dis...

Read More

28Feb By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events

Rugby World Cup 2023 fixtures: France vs. All Blacks in blockbuster opener

World Rugby and the France 2023 Organising Committee have announced the match schedule and venues for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. The expanded eight-week international rugby union festival, which takes place across nine cities, will kick-off with a blockbuster opening clash between host nation France and three-time champions New Zealand at the Stade de France on 8 September 2023. Rugby World Cup 2023 will be a “truly nationwide tournament involving all of France”, World Rugby said in a news release. “Each host city will host a minimum of four games and welcome at least one RWC 2019 quarter-finalist, reinforcing its commitment to unite the whole country through rugby fever.” In line with the mission to make the tournament the most accessible Rugby World Cup to date and att...

Read More

21Oct By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Events

British & Irish Lions to play at ‘home’ for the first time since 2005

It’s been announced that the British & Irish Lions rugby union team will face Japan in Scotland on 26 June 2021.  The clash against the Brave Blossoms at BT Murrayfield in Scotland’s capital Edinburgh will be the first time since 2005 that the Lions have played a “home” fixture. The Lions’s last game in Britain was against Argentina in Cardiff, Wales. Warren Gatland’s side will travel to South Africa in 2021 and the Japan game will be used as a warm-up for the summer tour, which features three Tests against the world champions.  Lions head coach Gatland said: “We saw Japan play some excellent rugby during the World Cup and they will come to Edinburgh fully-motivated to win. They are a talented side who play high-tempo rugby, so it’ll be a good challenge for us ahead...

Read More

28Sep By Sports Tourism NewsNo Comments

Guides

Autumn Nations Cup: rugby union’s new international tournament

International rugby union fans will welcome a new tournament this year - the Autumn Nations Cup.  Taking place from 13 November to 6 December, eight countries will play 16 matches across four consecutive weekends. Three rounds of fixtures will then be followed by a finals weekend.  Governing body World Rugby says the competition has been set up due to the traditional November international fixtures not being able to be held because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Six Nations rugby championship teams England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy are joined by Fiji and Georgia for the inaugural cup. The 2020 Six Nations will conclude just two weeks ahead of the new competition.  Newsletter: sign up for updates from Sports Tourism Media What the organisers say&n...

Read More