Saudi Arabia’s chance to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup gets an exciting update
Saudi Arabia had shown interest in bringing the Rugby World Cup to the Middle East, teaming up with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates for a joint bid. This would have been the first time the tournament was held in a part of the world where rugby isn’t very popular, and where none of the three countries have ever played in the World Cup.
However, these plans have been put on hold. According to a report from the Guardian, Saudi Arabia’s bid isn’t moving forward because of a new financial strategy by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The official deadline to submit a bid for the 2035 tournament isn’t until October 2026, so there’s still time for Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbors to rethink, but it doesn’t look likely.
Saudi Arabia’s decision fits into what the PIF calls the “value realization” phase of its Vision 2030 economic plan, released this week. One big change is that LIV Golf, which had PIF backing, will lose its funding next year as the focus shifts to projects that can bring financial returns.
The country will now put more effort into local projects, like hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup and improving the Formula One track near Riyadh, which opens next year.
Even though Saudi Arabia is stepping back from hosting the 2035 Rugby World Cup, that doesn’t mean the event won’t come to the Middle East. Qatar is more advanced in its rugby plans and has already agreed to host the second final series of the new Nations Championship in 2028. With Qatar’s strong sports infrastructure, especially after hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it wouldn’t be surprising if they aim to bring the Rugby World Cup there.
If Qatar goes for it, they might face competition from other countries like Argentina, Japan, and Spain, who have also shown interest in hosting the 2035 Rugby World Cup.