Spain confirm bid for the 2035 Rugby World Cup

The project is backed by the Spanish government and LaLiga.

The Spanish bid is backed by the government, through a Council of Ministers declaration, and by six autonomous communities that could host games: Andalusia, the Basque Country, Castile and León, Catalonia, the Community of Madrid and the Valencian Community. It relies on stadiums renovated for the 2030 football World Cup: eight of the proposed venues hold more than 50,000, and the federation hopes to stage the first final in the tournament’s history in front of more than 100,000 spectators.

Spain also highlights the 99,124 crowd for the 2016 Top 14 final at Camp Nou, a record for a club match, and the European finals hosted in Bilbao. By 2035, the World Cup will not have been held in Europe for twelve years. Spain have qualified for the 2027 tournament in Australia, their second appearance after 1999.

According to Marca, a third bid, from Japan, is expected, while Italy appear to be stepping back.