In 2021, a group of Victorian government figures and influential local rugby identities laid out the red carpet for visiting World Rugby officials, who were in town to assess Australia’s bid to host the 2027 World Cup.

The Victorian lobby took the rugby bigwigs on a private tour of the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the surrounding precinct, and later wined and dined them at dusk, over lobster and steak. The pitch was simple: we want to host the biggest-ever World Cup final at the MCG.

Nick Frost taps down a lineout at the MCG.Credit: Getty Images

Fast-forward six years, and while Australia subsequently won the bid to host the tournament, the country’s most iconic sporting venue will not only not host the final, it won’t even see a single minute of action.

Ahead of the full 52-game fixture list being released next month, tournament organisers on Thursday announced the eight venues that will be used. The most noteworthy element was a venue not on the list: the mighty MCG.

Melbourne will host eight games, including two playoffs, but they will all be played at nearby Marvel Stadium. The chance of the bumper Wallabies-All Blacks pool game being played in Melbourne is now remote, given the lucrative 100,000-seat MCG is not available.

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