Rugby World Cup Experiences 2027: Where the seat is just the beginning
A decade ago, premium sport was defined by one thing: the best seat in the house. Today, the seat is only the beginning.
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PGA of Australia and Golf Australia welcomed Avis Car Rental as their Official Car Rental Partner across their premier tournaments and initiatives as part of a 2-year deal
Rugby Australia confirmed the return of LION to the rugby family with Hahn Brewing becoming the Official Beer of the Wallabies for at least the next 2 years
Rugby Australia and IHG Hotels & Resorts extended their long-time partnership for an additional 3 years with the global hospitality leader confirmed as the Official Hotel Partner of the Wallabies and Wallaroos
Commonwealth Games Australia secured a new partnership with premium outdoor brand YETI which is set to support the Australian Commonwealth Games Team with customised products
AFL and Telstra announced a 4-year extension to the ‘Telstra Footy Grants’ program (until 2031) which sees a $2 million pool of funds distributed each year, with eligible regional and metro clubs able to apply for grants up to $20,000
NBL unveiled a new partnership with Australia’s premium savings and loyalty platform Mega Rewards which will provide fans with a range of money-can’t-buy experiences connected to some of the league’s biggest moments
Woolworths and the Royal Australian Mint are celebrating the 2026 Australian Commonwealth Games Team by releasing three limited-edition collectible coins
Hawthorn FC and ST. ALi officially joined forces as part of a multi-year partnership that will see the specialty coffee pioneers ensures the Club’s elite athletes, staff, and thousands of visitors are fueled by the very best
Collingwood FC announced a partnership extension with The Sporting Globe Bar and Grill for a further 2 seasons
Sydney Roosters renewed its partnership with Reddawn Security through to at least the end of the 2028 season - As part of the renewed agreement, Reddawn Security will continue to feature on the Sydney Roosters NRL playing and training shorts, while also expanding its support of the Club’s women’s program through new branding on the NRLW playing shorts from the 2026 season
Parramatta Eels announced a new partnership with Mother Energy which will join the Club as the Official Energy Drink Partner through to the end of 2027 and bring its fan-favourite “Mullet Cam” activation to CommBank Stadium
Wests Tigers secured a partnership extension with One World Courier which will remain with the Club through until the end of 2028 and have its logo feature on the Club’s NRL jersey
Brisbane Bullets and Coors renewed their partnership for the Hungry Jack’s NBL27 season which will see Coors’ continued support as major partner of the ‘Coors Champions Club’ at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Adelaide 36ers and SKG Services renewed their partnership for the next two NBL seasons which will see the provider of commercial cleaning, security, maintenance and construction services continue its prominent presence on the front of the Adelaide 36ers’ away jersey
Perth Bears launched ‘Bears in Business' - an exclusive corporate networking program designed to bring together ambitious businesses, meaningful connections and shared opportunities within the Perth Bears community - Corporate Traveller Australia and Penrite Oil were announced as Co-Major Partners of the new initiative
Sydney FC and Carbiz renewed their community-themed partnership for a 10th successive season - the Australian replacement car company will become the Naming Rights Partner of Sydney FC’s Primary Schools Cup and support the club’s School Holiday Clinics and Skills Training Programs
NRL announced the largest broadcast deal in Australian history, signing a 7-year, $5.3 billion deal that will see Nine and Foxtel retain their existing NRL media rights (The deal surpasses the AFL’s $4.5 billion media deal)
UFC announced that UFC 325 (Volkanovski vs Lopes), which took place earlier this year and drew a sold-out crowd of 18,102 and set the Qudos Bank Arena gate revenue record with $14.4M (highest-grossing event at any indoor arena in Australian history) also sparked significant economic impact, generating $65.7M throughout the Sydney metro area
Victorian Government announced a strategic partnership with ASX-listed sports technology company HITIQ to expand its advanced manufacturing and research facility in South Melbourne
NSW Government just committed $14M to the next stage of planning for Newcastle Arena – a shiny new 12,000-person arena that will be constructed alongside McDonald Jones Stadium (via Timeout Sydney)
Sport Design Australia hosted its inaugural ‘Victory Lap’ Sport Marketing & Creative Summit at Brisbane Powerhouse, attracting a sold-out crowd, a line-up of blue-chip speakers and (unexpectedly) plenty of beach balls
adidas unveiled the ‘adidas Trionda Final’ - the Official Match Ball for the World Cup semi-finals, bronze final and final
Justin Bieber is reportedly in talks to join the FIFA World Cup Final halftime show on July 19 at MetLife Stadium
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Guest Writer: David MacCallum
Today we’re welcoming David MacCallum as this week’s guest writer!
David is a Director & the General Manager of STH Group in Australia, part of Sodexo Live!, where he leads the organisation’s commercial strategy, operational delivery, and premium fan experience programs across the Australian market.
Today he explains why premium sports hospitality is no longer defined by the best seat in the house, but by the experiences built around it.
Rugby World Cup Experiences 2027: Where the seat is just the beginning
A decade ago, premium sport was defined by one thing: the best seat in the house - Today, the seat is only the beginning
Competitive advantage no longer comes from the seat alone. It comes from the experiences built around it.
The data increasingly supports this shift. Men’s Rugby World Cup France 2023 generated €1.8 billion in economic impact, attracted more than 425,000 international visitors who stayed an average of 10 days, and 82% said they intend to return.
Global sporting events are no longer simply competitions. They’re catalysts for travel, shared experiences and lasting memories, creating value for fans, destinations and host nations alike.
From Access to Experience…
For years, premium sport followed a simple formula: better seats, better lounges and closer proximity - Today, access is simply the entry point
Consumer behaviour has shifted. Since the pandemic, people have become far more deliberate about how they spend both their time and money. Increasingly, they’re investing in experiences over possessions, looking for moments that feel meaningful, memorable and worth sharing.
In an increasingly digital world, live sport offers something that’s becoming harder to find: real moments, genuine human connection and shared experiences that simply can’t be replicated.
Whether it’s reconnecting with lifelong friends, bringing generations of a family together, or celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, major sporting events become the backdrop for memories that last long after the final whistle. The match is the catalyst, but it’s the moments shared around it that people remember most.
That’s why fans are increasingly building entire holidays around major sporting events rather than simply attending a match. The game provides the reason to travel, while the destination provides the experience.
As fans can organise more of a trip themselves, the competitive advantage is no longer selling hospitality in isolation. It’s about seamlessly connecting match access with travel, accommodation, dining, culture and local experiences into one curated journey.
As expectations evolve, premium becomes less about exclusivity and more about removing friction, unlocking access and curating experiences that would be difficult for travellers to create on their own.
Premium is no longer defined by the seat alone, but by everything surrounding it.
Why Australia Changes the Equation…
Australia offers something few Rugby World Cup hosts can: a tournament designed around travel
Rather than visiting a single destination, fans can experience:
Vibrant cities
World-class food and wine
Spectacular coastlines
Unique wildlife
Some of the world’s oldest living cultures across multiple host destinations
The tournament becomes more than a series of matches; it becomes a shared journey through a country, experienced with the people who matter most.
Instead of concentrating value inside the stadium, Australia creates opportunities across the entire journey.
This reflects a broader shift in sports tourism. Fans are increasingly using major sporting events as the catalyst for wider travel experiences, extending their stays, exploring multiple destinations and forming deeper connections with the places they visit.
The Rise of Sports Tourism as Experience Travel
This shift extends well beyond rugby.
Success is no longer measured solely by attendance or ticket sales.
Increasingly, rights holders and host nations are looking at visitor length of stay, regional dispersal, local spending and repeat visitation as measures of long-term value
The greatest economic impact is created as much outside the stadium as inside it.
For premium hospitality providers, the opportunity is no longer simply selling access to an event. It’s curating journeys that combine world-class sport with authentic destination experiences.
A Rugby World Cup journey in 2027 could include:
An opening experience on Bondi Beach
A curated culinary programme in Melbourne
A regional escape through Queensland
Cultural immersion alongside match access
Seamless travel and hosting throughout
Today’s premium traveller expects experiences that feel effortless rather than complicated, authentic rather than manufactured, and personal rather than standardised.
The value no longer lies in individual components, but in how seamlessly they come together. Curation has become the new premium.
One of the strongest insights from France 2023 wasn’t simply visitor numbers - it was duration
An average stay of 10 days shows fans weren’t flying in and out. They were investing time in the destination.
Longer stays create greater visitor spend, deeper regional exploration, stronger local economic impact and more meaningful memories.
For Australia 2027, encouraging earlier arrivals, multi-city travel and extended stays represents one of the tournament’s greatest opportunities.
Redefining premium
Premium sports hospitality was once defined by exclusivity inside the stadium.
Today, it is increasingly defined by the quality of the complete journey.
The most memorable Rugby World Cup experiences won’t be remembered solely for the seat or the final score. They’ll be remembered for the road trip between host cities, the long lunch at a winery, the conversations after the match, the people they shared it with and the memories created along the way.
The seat still matters. It just isn’t the whole story.
Looking ahead
The next generation of global sporting events will be defined not only by the quality of competition, but by the journeys they inspire.
Premium is no longer about exclusivity within a stadium. It is about creating connected experiences that bring together sport, travel, culture and destination in ways that feel effortless for visitors and valuable for host nations.
The match may be the reason people travel.
But the moments they share before kick-off, the places they discover, the relationships they strengthen and the memories they create together are what make the experience unforgettable.
That’s the future of premium sports tourism.
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