Spain submits its bid for the 2035 Rugby World Cup

The Royal Spanish Rugby Federation unveiled a global bid at its annual gala last week in Madrid, aiming to boost Spain's international standing, while Saudi Arabia has withdrawn from the race.

The event brought together authorities, sponsors, and representatives of Spanish rugby. Under the concept of 'Spain Connects Rugby', it demonstrated the ambition to promote Spanish rugby internationally. The bid is conceived as a project that unites institutions, regions, and the entire rugby community.

During the gala, Spain's development of the sport and its growing presence in international competitions were highlighted. To strengthen the bid, the organisers emphasised the country's organisational capacity, its infrastructure network, and its strategic role as a bridge.

Speeches were given by the president of the Royal Spanish Rugby Federation, Juan Carlos Martín 'Hansen', and the President of the Higher Sports Council, José Manuel Uribes. Both speakers underlined the potential sporting, economic and social impact of the bid. Those in attendance saw the gala as the beginning of a larger project, with securing the World Cup bid as the ultimate goal.

The Spanish Federation confirmed that it has been in contact with World Rugby and LaLiga to secure their support for the bid's future success. According to the digital sports news outlet Sportcal, discussions with the governing body of Spanish professional football clubs aim to ensure access to venues with sufficient capacity to host the event. The focus is on Barcelona's renovated Camp Nou, which has a capacity of 105,000, and Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu, which has 78,297 seats; these venues would add further appeal to the bid for World Rugby.

Sportcal reports that Real Madrid, the owners of the Santiago Bernabéu, could be open to this possibility following discussions with the Spanish Federation. The stadium features a retractable pitch designed for American football. San Mamés, Athletic Bilbao's stadium in northern Spain, will host the EPCR Champions Cup final in 2026, having previously staged it in 2018.

Spain last competed in the Rugby World Cup in 1999, and has already qualified for the 2027 tournament. The team had also qualified for the 2023 tournament, but were disqualified for breaching player eligibility rules following a complaint by Romania, who ultimately took their place.

In April, rumours circulated about a joint bid involving Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. However, last week, the British newspaper The Guardian reported that Saudi Arabia had withdrawn as a result of the Public Investment Fund’s new financial strategy. Last year, the Minister of Sport, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, confirmed Saudi Arabia's interest in bidding for the tournament, but the newspaper reported that the country has neither submitted plans nor intends to do so before the October deadline.

The bidding process opened in October 2025, with Argentina, Japan and Spain having already expressed initial interest pending official confirmation. World Rugby will select a preferred candidate in May 2027, before the organisation's council formally appoints them the following autumn.

Saudi Arabia's withdrawal is linked to profitability considerations under its 'Vision 2030 economic plan', which was published last week and prioritises events and investments capable of generating financial returns. Consequently, other projects, such as LIV Golf, are also being reconsidered after failing to meet expectations. Currently, LIV Golf is set to withdraw from competition in 2027 unless teams secure private funding.

Saudi Arabia is now focusing on Formula 1, with a circuit expected to be ready next year, as well as on infrastructure related to the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, Qatar has been interested in rugby for several years and has already secured an agreement to host the second final phase of the new Nations Championship in 2028. There has been no official confirmation so far, but the possibility of a bid for the 2035 World Cup could be revived.