Rugby fans could be forced to part with their hard-earned cash to watch the next World Cup.
The tournament, which is presently taking place in France, has been broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom for free since 1991.
However, planned radical changes to the tournament could result in the sport’s pinnacle event being hidden behind a paywall.
According to the Daily Telegraph, World Rugby will “market” the next two competitions.
Rugby officials, on the other hand, are adamant that the next Women’s World Cup will be broadcast for free.
The men’s tournament finals will also stay free to view since UK legislation prohibits them from being hidden behind a paywall.
World Rugby are contemplating putting the next two World Cups in a bid to further expand the global reach of the sport.
CEO Andrew Gilpin said: “The starting point is always going to be, ‘Can we make as much of this fantastic competition – in the case of men’s and women’s World Cups – available to the biggest audiences possible?’
“The secondary consideration to that is, ‘Can we do that in a way that provides the revenues that we need to continue to invest in the growth of the sport?’
“So, like any sports event owner, it’s finding that balance – and there is a balance to be found there – across different markets.
“So, no, we definitely won’t look at ’27 in isolation and we definitely won’t look at the UK in isolation.
“We’ll look at it as part of a broader sort of mix of opportunities.
“A brilliant, expanded, 16-team, eight-venue Women’s Rugby World Cup in ’25, much bigger scale than we’ve ever done in Women’s World Cup before, that has to be available, particularly in the UK and the home market, for free, to the biggest audience. That’s our short-term focus.”