The true cost of the ACT government standoff with Rugby Australia over the 2027 World Cup

It was an "I was there" moment in Canberra. The sort of moment you can't plan or predict, but is unforgettable when you get the perfect mix of euphoria and unpredictability.

It's the sort of moment Canberrans will miss out on as the ACT government stands firm on what it says are exorbitant match fees for the best sporting content on offer.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr is in one corner, refusing to budge or be pressured into paying above what the government deems is appropriate.

The sporting organisations are in the other corner, and they have state governments around Australia willing to fork out for content to give their residents a chance to be a part of something bigger.

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The latest battle is between the ACT government and Rugby Australia and the parties are so far apart (hundreds of thousands of dollars apart) it is a very real prospect that Canberra may not be a host city for the 2027 World Cup.

The cost of missing out on those bigger-than-sport moments far outweigh the upfront fee. Think Iraq v Iran in the 2015 Asian Cup, 2003 rugby World Cup games and Chris Gayle's 215 in a cricket World Cup game.

The cost is to a generation of children who don't get to see what their dreams can be.

So who is to blame for the rugby standoff? Has Canberra put all of its cash into a tram, which will have no sport to go to if there's no stadium in Civic or events that can attract big crowds?

Or has rugby turned its back on one of the only battlegrounds it has in the country?

Something will have to break and it's not good enough for the government to say they're not willing to pay the match fee others are willing to fork out for.

We've been told for so long that the Mr Fluffy clean up, the billions of funding for light rail and COVID-19 has put pressure on the ACT's bottom line, but sports aren't asking for $10 million or more.

The asking price to be involved in the rugby World Cup is in the millions, which is a rise from the past.

But if other states are willing to pay, why aren't we? A $1 million fee for a few games won't break the bank for the tram or the hospital. And the government will get a return on that investment given travellers will come to Canberra.

No one in Canberra expects the government to break the bank. But if the government is willing to pay $2.3 million per year for three AFL games, why does it baulk at World Cup performance agreements?

There is an expectation the capital should be a part of Australia's biggest events.

The city will already miss out on the hype and excitement of the historic women's soccer World Cup in 2023 after the government refused to pay the asking fee.

If we no longer want to host second or third-tier international contests, or exhibition games, the government has to get serious about paying up.

The price is the price. The sporting market isn't a used car lot where negotiations are guaranteed. There's some wiggle room, but if we don't pay someone else will. Sure, there's a line where the asking price becomes over the top, but at the moment we're not even in the ballpark. Not even close enough to negotiate.

The continually-delayed stadium plan adds further complication. It's been 10 years since Barr first floated the need to upgrade Canberra Stadium or build a new venue in Civic.

There's a feasibility study, which now includes an option for EPIC, but we're no closer to having something tangible. It's now said the stadium plans have been pushed back to the end of the decade, when Barr will no longer be in ACT politics.

NSW, Queensland and Western Australia have all built new stadiums and are willing to spend money to secure regular content. Canberra Stadium is almost 50 years old, and the government is keen for content but only at the right price.

The Canberra sporting landscape has changed over the past decade. The centenary celebrations in 2013 paved the way for Canberra to break free from its exhibition-game reputation to be a genuine player in the international sporting arena.

The event appetite matured. Yes, we can host the Prime Minister's XI, but give us a Test, one-day international or Twenty20 as well. Yes, we have the Brumbies and Raiders, but we want the Wallabies, Kangaroos and State of Origin.

"We'll never, ever be left behind in the way we were previously across pretty well all of the major sports," Barr said.

But we are being left behind, partly because of our own doing and partly due to external forces.

Football Australia's high fees for the women's World Cup in 2023 were predictable. Australian football has treated Canberra as an afterthought for many years. Failed A-League bids and fly-in, fly-out Socceroos visits.

But there was no Canberra tax on the matches that were being offered. It was a standard price for everyone and the ACT chose not to pay.

Rugby Australia is in a different situation. The Brumbies have been Australia's most successful rugby team and Canberra has supported the game even when it has been on its knees.

Maybe there is a case for monetary dispensation for Canberra to be a World Cup host given what the Brumbies have meant to rugby in Australia over more than 25 years.

Rugby is looking for eight to 10 venues for the World Cup. To ignore Brumbies heartland because of a disagreement over money is to ignore history. It would be a crippling blow for a rugby community used to being referred to as the NSW and Queensland rejects, but embraced it at the same time.

The principle of the government's stance is understandable. They won't pay overs for something they don't think will deliver a return on investment.

To not be involved at all, though? That's the true cost to Canberra, because we'll be wishing we were there.

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