The United States has publicly launched its bid to host the Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2027 or 2031 and the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2029.
This is the first time a nation has bid on both the Men’s and Women’s Rugby World Cups together and, if successful, will mark the first time a Men’s Rugby World Cup has been held in America.
“This is a proud moment as we introduce our vision for a Rugby World Cup on American soil,” expressed USA Rugby World Cup Bid Chair, Jim Brown.
“After working on this for a year now, we are confident in the strength of this bid, the support around us, the cities and stadiums interested in hosting, our country’s top-level infrastructure for large-scale sports events and the opportunity the U.S. population of sports fans presents for rugby’s growth, both domestically and globally.”
Progress made to date includes the finalisation of the bid campaign’s branding, solidifying and surveying fan and public backing for the bid, coordinating with federal, state and local government officials, securing the interest of metropolitan areas from coast to coast and putting a team in place.
New research, conducted by the team and shared publicly for the first time, has revealed that 80 percent of sports fans and 93 percent of rugby fans said they support the US as a host in the near future.
World Rugby Hall of Fame Inductee and Women’s Sports Foundation President, Phaidra Knight, commented: “After my experiences as a player with the USA National Team, I cannot imagine anything that would mean more to rugby players, fans and supporters than hosting a Rugby World Cup in the United States.
“It’s clear that current US rugby fans are excited about the potential of hosting Rugby World Cup events, and that fans of other sports are interested in learning more about rugby. These are two phenomenal groups we’re excited to bring together through this experience.”
Additionally, research also found strong interest in attending Rugby World Cup matches among rugby fans, with 82 percent saying the same for a Women’s Rugby World Cup.
“The United States boasts strong women’s sports infrastructure and interest, two things that are lacking globally, making us uniquely suited to host the 2029 Rugby World Cup,” Knight added.
Some of the cities that have shown interest and being considered are; Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Chicago, Minneapolis, Nashville, Seattle, Fla and Washington DC to name a few.
