Sydney – World Rugby boss Alan Gilpin says he has no regrets overlooking the MCG for the Rugby World Cup 2027 Finals after playing the iconic and unforgettable Test host of Wallabies and the British and Ireland Lions last Saturday.
Gilpin joined Chairman Brett Robinson, Rugby Australia boss Phil War and many other senior officials to help announce ticket plans for the 2027 tournament, which will take place in seven Australian host cities.
The first seat will be available via the 2027 “Super Fan” pass. This allows you to land one opportunity to buy four tickets in any of the 52 games. They will be released next month, but wider advance sales will begin in February 2026.
But with the town’s Lions ahead of their third test with the Wallabies, discussion naturally turned to a gripping test at the MCG last Saturday.
The drama and tension created by Jack Morgan’s clean-out review in one stage of Hugo Keenan’s series series The Lions attempt, concluded an extraordinary night with one of the greatest Colosseums of world sports, and brought fans to question the right decision for the 2027 Final.
“No, we’ve really gone through a competitive (process),” Gilpin said when asked by MCG, where 90,307 people met over the weekend, if the game missed the trick by not taking the final.
“I mean amazing here, and you all know this well, it’s a very competitive environment between the state and the city for sports content. And Sydney put their best feet on it for that, they’re the great hosts of the World Cup semifinals and finals in 2003.
“I think what I saw on Saturday is that rugby can make some kind of noise in Melbourne too, so I look forward to Melbourne coming into that tournament.
“Perth has a stadium and it’s not surprising in 2003, so we’re excited to have access to those amazing venues, as the scenery at the venue here is truly exceptional.”
The MCG originally received strong support to host the final at the world rugby level due to its capacity of 100,000 and close to the city centre. This was a 20-minute walk along the Yarra River on Saturday night, with many Lions fans strolling to the ground.
However, it is understood that the Victorian state government has cut a low bid during the state’s difficult financial period, only narrowly avoiding a total missed out on the slate of the game through roughly 11 hours of discussion before the host city was confirmed earlier this year.
The strong crowd of 90,307 on the second Lions Test was treated to an electrified firework display, similar to the Suncorp Stadium a week ago, but the atmosphere around the MCG during the 80-minute action was different from what other venues around Australia could offer.
Instead, Melbourne will have to make it in time for seven pool matches and two games of 16 rounds, but at this stage it is unclear whether it will be staged on Aami Park (30,000 capacity), Marvel Stadium (53,000), or MCG.
Anyway, over 2.5 million tickets will be available for use at Rugby World Cup 2027. This spreads from the Perth (opening) game through Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Townsville, Newcastle and Sydney (Final).
Rugby Australia (RA) doesn’t just set ticket prices for events, but local organising agencies are pleased that they won’t be criticized for priced people of all income.
There are 1 million tickets for $(au) 100, with tickets starting at $40 for adults and tickets available starting at just $20 for children. The cheapest ticket to see Wallabees in your home soil during the event is $100.