Phil Kearns and Rugby Australia leadership duo Hamish McLennan and Andy Marinos have been on a mission in London to build support for their World Cup vision.

But back home it has emerged Canberra - one of just three Australian Super Rugby foundation locations - is in danger of being priced out of the bidding process.

The ACT government and Rugby Australia officials say discussions are ongoing, and there is still time for the parties to reach an agreement before having to submit the final documents.

World Rugby will decide on the 2027 World Cup location in May and while the host cities will form part of the Australian proposal, they don't have to be locked in until a later date.

Rugby Australia has its sights on eight or 10 venues to host matches, putting Canberra in competition with three stadiums in Sydney, one in Newcastle and others in Townsville, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne.

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The government wants to ensure it gets bang for its buck and has withdrawn from World Cup bids for other sports because of the cost associated with hosting games.

Kearns, a former Wallabies captain and executive director of Australia's bid, said he wanted the 2027 World Cup to be a "tournament for all Australians".

"We remain committed to our ambition for the tournament to have a national footprint, with touch points across the country through eight to 10 match venues, 40 to 55 team bases and multiple fan zones," Kearns said.

"Canberra and the surrounding region is home to a proud rugby community.

"We look forward to continuing to work with the ACT government around the opportunity for them to secure their part in hosting RWC 2027.

"However, as with all major events, this will require support and infrastructure commensurate with hosting the world's third-largest sporting event."

Kearns has previously said the age of Canberra Stadium could affect the capital's prospects, with the venue to be 50 years old by the time the tournament begins.

The government has already delayed plans to build a new stadium - either in Civic or at EPIC - until the late 2020s or even into the 2030s following the coronavirus pandemic.

So Canberra's World Cup ambitions will rely on Rugby Australia and the government being able to find common ground on financial investment and the quality of games available.

World Cup game options are split into three categories depending on the countries involved in the matches.

Tier-one nations have the highest match fees, while lower-ranked teams fall into the most affordable category.

The level of games available looms as a sticking point, the government saying it will consider content before making any decisions in the coming months.

"The ACT will consider involvement subject to realistic cost and stadium infrastructure requirements and sufficiently high-quality games," the government said earlier this year.

"We would expect a significant return on investment for rugby in Canberra from any taxpayer investment."

Officials may lean on Rugby Australia to give the capital dispensation given the government's ongoing financial support of the ACT Brumbies.

Rugby Australia, however, is confident host cities will earn a return on their investment.

"Hosting Rugby World Cup 2027 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity which would drive significant economic outcomes for Australia and create a lasting legacy for the game," Kearns said.

"RWC 2027 in Australia would welcome two million attendees, including 200,000 international visitors, delivering $2.5 billion in direct and indirect expenditure for the economy and creating 13,300 equivalent FTE jobs.

"It would also attract 30,000 new participants to the game. This is an unrivalled opportunity to grow the game in Australia and the Pacific.

"One of the strengths of our bid is that Australia has a vast network of world-class modern stadia and training facilities.

"We've seen the benefit of a number of new stadiums being developed across Australia in recent years, with Perth hosting sold out Bledisloe Cups, Townsville welcoming the Wallabies for the first time and the SFS redevelopment nearing the finish line."

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