<p>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.</p><br><p>Also in this episode:</p><br><p>● Chris Stanley’s journey from UK to Australia</p><p>● How Sydney 2000 shaped his event delivery mindset</p><p>● Why Rugby World Cup crowds feel different to FIFA</p><p>● Team base camps, hotels, training venues, and logistics</p><p>● Ticket ballot explained: timelines, oversubscription, and October release</p><p>● Partners, media rights, and building momentum with 500 days</p><br><p>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.</p><br><p>RUGBY UNITY LIVE! IN NEWCASTLE 10 JULY 2026: <a href="https://tickets.iwannaticket.com.au/event/hunter-rugby-luncheon-japan-v-ireland-61ffdo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://tickets.iwannaticket.com.au/event/hunter-rugby-luncheon-japan-v-ireland-61ffdo</a></p><br><p>SIGN UP TO THE BIG 3 HERE: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/big3rugbyunity" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/big3rugbyunity</a> 👈👈</p><br><p>Ask Eddie Jones and Ewen McKenzie anything! Fill out the form below 👇</p><p><a href="https://tinyurl.com/rugbyunityquestions" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/rugbyunityquestions</a> 👈👈</p><br><p>👉 Want more from Rugby Unity? Subscribe to our Substack for exclusive content, blogs, behind-the-scenes insights, and full podcast access — all in one place: <a href="https://rugbyunitypod.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rugby Unity | Substack</a></p><p><u>&nbsp;</u></p><p>📧 Get in touch: [email protected]</p><p>Thanks to Eleven labs for providing a grant to Rugby Unity so that we can use their world leading software.</p><br><p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@rugby_unity_podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TikTok</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rugbyunitypodcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Rugby_Unity" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>