Building Rugby World Cup 2027 with Chris Stanley

David Pembroke sits down with Rugby World Cup 2027 Managing Director Chris Stanley, the man overseeing planning, operations and delivery across 52 matches, 24 teams, and a tournament running 1 October to 13 November. Stanley walks through how a “pop-up” organisation goes from employee number one to a full-scale event engine, from locking in cities, venues and team base camps to wrangling hotels, flights and hundreds of contracts. They dig into what’s keeping leadership awake: cashflow timing, commercial partners still “waiting to see”, and global uncertainty that could impact travel. There’s also a clear-eyed look at ticketing after a first phase that sold 750,000 tickets across 135 countries, plus what to do in the current application window. Add in pricing from $40 seats (and $20 standing in Newcastle and Adelaide) to a $1,950 final ticket, and why Rugby World Cup revenues matter to World Rugby.

Also in this episode:

● Chris Stanley’s journey from UK to Australia

● How Sydney 2000 shaped his event delivery mindset

● Why Rugby World Cup crowds feel different to FIFA

● Team base camps, hotels, training venues, and logistics

● Ticket ballot explained: timelines, oversubscription, and October release

● Partners, media rights, and building momentum with 500 days

PLUS: What a “uniquely Australian” Rugby World Cup fan experience could look like, from stadium food and drink to fan festivals and travel between cities.

RUGBY UNITY LIVE! IN NEWCASTLE 10 JULY 2026: https://tickets.iwannaticket.com.au/event/hunter-rugby-luncheon-japan-v-ireland-61ffdo

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