There have been expressions of shock, disappointment, and anger in the wake of World Rugby’s decision to exclude the Australian capital city as one of the host venues during the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

The 2027 Rugby World Cup will take place in Australia from 1 October to 13 November, with the Springboks targeting a record hat-trick of successive titles.

It’s now been confirmed where the Springboks could find themselves playing, with seven host cities – Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Sydney, and Townsville – selected for their “vibrant culture, world-class hospitality and scenic landmarks”.

The notable absentee from that formidable list is of the host nation’s capital city Canberra, home of the country’s most successfully rugby team, the Brumbies.

In addition to fans from the region voicing their disappointment at the snub, a chorus of high profile players and rugby personalities have also expressed their dismay.

Among those are Wallabies and Brumbies legends Stephen Larkham, David Pocock, and Matt Giteau.

“From our perspective, we’ve got a lot of really passionate supporters, and it’s disappointing for them not to have that ability to watch a game here in Canberra,” Larkham said on Friday.

“We would have loved to have had a game to showcase the game at the top level,” the Brumbies coach added.

Pocock, in his capacity as senator in the region, partially blamed the local government citing insufficient support from authorities.

“We have some of the highest community sports participation rates in the country, and we’re consistently missing out on actually having world class events and having millions of people actually watching sport,” Pocock told ABC Radio. “It’s no surprise we’re the least known capital.”

Giteau, who played with Larkham for the Brumbies and Wallabies, took to social media to question the decision,

“How can Canberra not get one game for RWC 2027?? This can’t be accurate surely?” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“Growth of the game down here is as crucial as it is around the country IMO. Most successful super rugby team and we get donuts down this way.”

WORLD RUGBY BOSS EXPLAINS THE SNUB

The following the furore caused by the governing body’s call to omit Canberra from the list of host cities, World Rugby boss Brett Robinson, who hails from Australia and also played for the Brumbies in the capital, came out and gave several valid reasons why it is an unsuitable rugby venue for the World Cup.

“It’s disappointing that we haven’t got the stadium [in Canberra],” Robinson said.

“Playing at home in Canberra is a wonderful place to play the game. It’s just we haven’t got the facilities really for a tournament of this scale, which is a big disappointment,” he explained.

WILL YOU BE HEADING TO AUSTRALIA IN 2027?

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Rugby World Cup
The Springboks will defend their Rugby World Cup title in Australia in 2027. Image: X/@rugbyworldcup.