Putin backs Russia's 2027 Rugby World Cup bid - federation

VIDEO SHOWS: FILE FOOTAGE OF RUSSIA RUGBY TEAM TRAINING IN JAPAN DURING THE 2019 RUGBY WORLD CUP, RUSSIAN FANS IN JAPAN, FILE FOOTAGE OF RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, FILE FOOTAGE OF THE LUZHNIKI STADIUM IN MOSCOW, FILE FOOTAGE OF SOUTH AFRICA'S VICTORY PARADE AFTER WINNING THE 2019 RUGBY WORLD CUP

SHOWS:

TOKYO, JAPAN (FILE - SEPTEMBER 19, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. RUSSIA'S RUGBY UNION TEAM TRAINING AT TOKYO STADIUM AHEAD OF THEIR 2019 RUGBY WORLD CUP POOL STAGE GAME AGAINST JAPAN

2. VARIOUS OF PLAYERS WARMING-UP

3. HEAD COACH LYN JONES LOOKING ON

4. VARIOUS OF RUSSIANS PRACTISING LINEOUT

5. RUSSIAN ASSISTANT COACH ALEXANDER VOYTOV WATCHING TRAINING

6. CAPTAIN VASILY ARTEMYEV LEADING DRILL

7. VARIOUS OF RUSSIANS TRAINING

8. RUSSIAN AND JAPANESE FANS PREPARING FOR A DRINKING GAME KNOWN AS THE "BOAT RACE"

9. RUSSIAN FAN WEARING SHIRT WITH LOGO, READING (English): "MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY RUGBY CLUB"

10. VARIOUS OF BOAT RACE IN PROGRESS WITH THE RUSSIAN TEAM WINNING

11. CROWD SURFING

12. RUSSIAN FANS CHEERING

13. VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN FANS SINGING SONG

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FILE - JUNE 12, 2020) (RUSSIAN POOL - ACCESS ALL)

14. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN ARRIVING, WELCOMING GUESTS WHO WILL RECEIVE STATE AWARDS

15. RUSSIAN FLAG IN POKLONNAYA SQUARE, WWII MUSEUM SEEN IN BACKGROUND

16. PUTIN STANDING

17. RUSSIAN FLAG RAISING CEREMONY IN PROGRESS

18. RUSSIAN FLAG IN POKLONNAYA SQUARE, WWII MUSEUM SEEN IN BACKGROUND

19. PUTIN COMING BY SPEAKER STAND

20. PUTIN AT STAND

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FILE - JULY 15, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

21. VIEW OF THE LUZHNIKI STADIUM

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FILE - MAY 6, 2017) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

22. EXTERIOR OF LUZHNIKI STADIUM

23. CONSTRUCTION AT STADIUM

24. FIGURE OF SOCCER PLAYER ON BANNER ATOP STADIUM

25. EXTERIOR OF STADIUM

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FILE - AUGUST 29, 2017) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

26. FOUNTAIN, LUZHNIKI STADIUM IN BACKGROUND

27. STATUE OF VLADIMIR LENIN IN FRONT OF STADIUM

28. INTERIOR OF STADIUM

29. SEATS

30. PITCH VIEW FROM ABOVE / ROOF OF STADIUM

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, (FILE - NOVEMBER 7, 2019) (REUTERS ACCESS ALL)

31. SOUTH AFRICA'S RUGBY WORLD CUP CHAMPION SQUAD ON TOP OF BUS AS THEY PARADE THROUGH STREETS WITH TROPHY IN FRONT OF SCREAMING FANS

32. SPRINGBOKS CAPTAIN, SIYA KOLISI, HOISTING THE WEBB ELLIS CUP FROM ON TOP OF THE BUS

33. YOUNG FAN SCREAMING WITH EXCITEMENT INTO THE CAMERA

34. VARIOUS OF CROWD CHEERING THE TEAM ON AS THEY GO BY ON BUS

35. FAN HOLDING UP A PAINTING OF KOLISI

36. THE SPRINGBOK BUS MOVING THROUGH THE CROWD

STORY: The Russian Rugby Federation (RRF) has confirmed the country is preparing an application to host the 2027 World Cup and that President Vladimir Putin is backing the bid.

Russia had expressed an interest in hosting the tournament, using the stadiums from soccer's 2018 World Cup as venues, and the RRF said in a statement on Wednesday (July 29).

The initiative had received the support of the Russian president, it added.

The official bidding campaign is set to begin in February with the sport's global governing body World Rugby expected to decide the hosts next May.

Australia, co-hosts of the inaugural World Cup with New Zealand in 1987 and the venue for the successful 2003 edition, are the favourites to host the 2027 showpiece with Argentina pulling out earlier this year.

France will host the next World Cup in 2023, which will be the third in a row in the northern hemisphere after England in 2015 and Japan last year.

Russia finished bottom of their group in Japan after losing their four games.

(Production: Tim Hart)