The 2027 World Cup could have broken the world attendance record for a match in the premier competition, but that will not be the case. Worse still, Australia will have to do without three of its biggest stadiums for this major event. For example, the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne will not be part of the party. However, it is the largest stadium in the country, by far, with a maximum capacity of more than 100,000 seats.
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The organization of the semi-finals and the final of the next World Cup in this venue would have made it possible to shatter numerous attendance records in the history of the World Cup. The current attendance record for a World Cup match is the match between Ireland and Romania at Twickenham in 2015, with 89,267 curious people in the stands.
Outside this imposing lair, Marvel Stadium (53,359 seats) and AAMI Park (30,050 seats) will also not be part of the next World Cup. They are the fifth and sixteenth largest stadiums in Australia respectively and are both based in Melbourne.
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But then, why do these stadiums refuse to participate in this international event? Well, if we are to believe the reason given by the Herald Sunthe reason could disconcert more than one as it may seem astonishing, even childish. The Australian media declares that “petty policies derailed the candidacy” of the different stages.
Indeed, the State of Victoria, whose capital is Melbourne, refuses to participate in this great rugby festival in retaliation for the disappearance of its Super Rugby Pacific franchise. The Melbourne Rebels have been excluded from the Oceanian championship from the 2025 edition, after going bankrupt. Thus, the institution has decided to withdraw its speakers from the next World Cup. THE Herald Sun evokes a “futile dispute of state government”.
A decision which may seem surprising given the poor economic and sporting health of Australian rugby union for almost 10 years. Thus, the next world championship should be satisfied with Stadium Australia in Sydney, with a capacity of 82,000 seats, for its biggest posters.
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