Townsville to host four Rugby World Cup 2027 pool games plus three Wallabies Tests through 2030

Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville will host four pool-stage matches at the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup and three further Wallabies Tests through 2030, Rugby Australia confirmed on Thursday in what officials are calling an unprecedented slate of international rugby for the North Queensland region.

The four World Cup fixtures feature Georgia against Romania on October 3, Hong Kong China against Chile on October 10, Tonga against Zimbabwe on October 15, and Spain against Canada on October 16. Georgia, who have qualified for their seventh consecutive Rugby World Cup, will also return to Townsville in 2029 for a Test against the Wallabies. Argentina will visit twice in the same pipeline, rounding out the three additional Wallabies matches announced alongside the World Cup schedule.

Queensland Minister for Sport and Racing Tim Mander framed the announcement as part of a broader push to establish the state as Australia’s premier sporting destination. “We are determined to make Queensland the events centre of Australia and also the home of Australian sport,” Mander told reporters. “This is showing how important regional Queensland, and particularly North Queensland, is to sport but to world rugby.”

Mander also pointed to the grassroots impact of bringing elite fixtures to the region. “To have elite sport, you’ve got to have junior sport,” he said. “We want to give them inspiration. We want them to see their role models.”

Townsville has previous World Cup pedigree, having hosted three matches during Australia’s last staging of the tournament, including fixtures involving France and Japan. The Wallabies also carry a 2-0 record from their first two Tests at the venue, most recently edging Argentina when prop Angus Bell scored an 85th-minute try and captain Harry Wilson declined a penalty kick that would have settled for a draw.

The Wallabies are entering a new era under head coach Les Kiss, who replaced Joe Schmidt after the side opened his tenure with a 35-32 victory over Japan last weekend. The World Cup itself begins in less than 14 months, with Queensland Country Bank Stadium set to stage some of the more consequential pool-stage clashes, including a Pool A fixture involving Hong Kong China and Chile — two sides who share their group with Australia and New Zealand.