Rather than treating legacy as an afterthought, Impact Beyond has been designed as the strategic framework that will guide investment before, during and long after both Rugby World Cups. The ambition is to use the tournaments as catalysts for sustainable growth, stronger communities and a more resilient rugby ecosystem throughout the region.

Building stronger communities through rugby

The programme is divided into two complementary initiatives: Impact Beyond Australia and Impact Beyond Pasifika. Together they recognise that hosting global events should strengthen both the host nation and neighbouring rugby communities.

Within Australia, the focus is on increasing participation, building capability and creating more inclusive community environments. Targets include growing rugby union participation to more than 220,000 people by 2029, significantly expanding opportunities for women and girls, and ensuring clubs and volunteers are equipped to sustain increased interest generated by the tournaments.

The Pacific programme takes a broader regional perspective. Alongside growing participation, it places equal emphasis on governance, financial sustainability, coaching development and strengthening domestic competitions across Oceania. By combining community development with governance reform, the initiative acknowledges that long-term sporting success depends as much on organisational resilience as it does on performance.

A different approach to event legacy

Speaking at the launch, World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson highlighted the scale of the opportunity.

“Australia has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to supercharge rugby union, both at home and across the Pacific.”

He added that the programme has been designed collaboratively with Rugby Australia, Pacific Unions and Oceania Rugby to strengthen capability and capacity while ensuring the game becomes “stronger, more inclusive and better equipped to thrive long after these tournaments have been played.”

Australian Federal Minister for Sport Anika Wells reinforced the wider societal ambitions, noting that the investment would encourage more women, girls and grassroots players into rugby while creating economic opportunities through tourism, employment and stronger relationships across the Pacific.

Rugby Australia Chief Executive Phil Waugh described the tournaments as “a generational opportunity” to showcase the purpose of rugby while ensuring “the long-term sustainability and success of rugby in Australia and the Pacific.”

From legacy to measurable impact

The significance of Impact Beyond lies in its recognition that legacy must be planned, funded and measured rather than assumed. By combining participation, inclusion, governance and sustainability within a single long-term framework, World Rugby is moving beyond the traditional focus on attendance figures or economic impact towards a more holistic understanding of sporting success.

That broader approach is reflected in the recently published GSS SPI Index, where World Rugby is currently ranked 12th globally with a C+ (Purpose Improver) SPI Rating. The new programme demonstrates how the governing body is seeking to build on that foundation, using two Rugby World Cups not simply to stage world-class competitions, but to create enduring social, organisational and community impact that will continue long after the final whistle has blown.