Ireland v New Zealand reignited America’s passion for rugby on the big stage in 2016. Now 27 cities are vying to host Rugby World Cup matches in 2031.
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Ahead of the All Blacks’ game against Ireland in Chicago, World Rugby confirmed 27 cities across the U.S. have entered the Applicant Phase for the 2031 Rugby World Cup host city selection process.
Each city vying to host matches in 2031 has signed a Letter of Intent to continue in the selection process. The 27 cities include 33 potential venues, with some of the major cities putting forward more than one potential stadium.
The list of cities includes most of the U.S.’s major metropolitan areas. Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. are all home to current or former Major League Rugby franchises, while other cities such as Denver (home of USA Rugby), the Bay Area, and Vancouver are known to be North American rugby hotspots.
The 27 cities are expected to be narrowed down to a final list of between thirteen and fifteen by the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. That will give the selected host cities roughly four full years to prepare for the inaugural Rugby World Cup on U.S. soil.
“The enthusiastic response from across the U.S. has been extraordinary,” World Rugby Chief Executive told the media in Chicago. “These cities and areas represent not only iconic sports destinations but also new, emerging, and existing rugby communities.”
The host city selection process and the expansion of premier rugby events, like the Chicago matchup between Ireland and New Zealand, are part of World Rugby’s U.S. Growth Plan, which was announced in July in Washington, D.C.
Rugby’s governing body has already stated that it intends to invest over $250 million in American rugby. As previously reported in Sports Business Journal, the money will be put towards improving infrastructure and development pathways, expanding the women’s game, and increasing the number of top-level international test matches in the run-up to the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups.
SoFi Stadium is expected to be one of the 33 venues looking to host Rugby World Cup games in 2031.
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Gilpin says the potential host cities’ enthusiasm “underscores the opportunity Men’s Rugby World Cup 2031 presents to cement the United States’ status as a major player in global rugby, but also to inspire and unite new fans, audiences, and commercial partners.”
The announcement of the 27 potential host cities comes on the back of the most successful Women’s Rugby World Cup ever, which sold over 440,000 tickets and broke multiple attendance records, including for the final, which hosted nearly 82,000 fans. World Rugby is betting that the 2031 and 2033 tournaments in the U.S. will see attendance and revenue records tumble, while leaving a lasting rugby legacy in communities across the country.
World Rugby and USA Rugby will assess each potential venue over the next fourteen months. The process will include visits to team base facilities and venue evaluations, which are expected to begin in November of this year. The governing bodies will also share hosting requirements with the cities, which will, in turn, have to describe what kind of opportunities and legacy potential they could provide the tournament.
By 2026, selected cities will move from the applicant phase of the process to the candidate phase. After the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, the final selections will be made, and by late 2029, the tournament draw will be announced, with the match schedule allocated to each host city.
Cities that are not selected for hosting duties can still participate in the tournament as base camps for specific teams. The norm in Rugby World Cups is that each national team will select a base camp for the duration of their time in the tournament, with the exception of the semi-final, final, and potential third-place game, which will likely require them to move cities. Regardless, this could give anywhere between thirteen and thirty cities the opportunity to host a Rugby World Cup team in some capacity.
With host selection underway, there is no turning back from a Rugby World Cup in the U.S. The country has roughly six years to prepare itself for the third-largest sporting event in the world. As seen by the All Blacks v Ireland match in Chicago, major matchups between two heavyweights sell out within days. What remains to be seen is if the twenty-four-team tournament can capture the attention of the entire U.S. sports market for over a month.