Inside World Rugby's six-year runway to America's first Rugby World Cup

Rugby fans in the United States are in for a busy six years ahead of Rugby World Cup 2031, as World Rugby and some of its largest member unions ramp up their presence in the sport’s emerging frontier.

New Zealand and Ireland kicked off their Quilter Nations Series in Chicago over the weekend, and the countries’ respective union CEOs, Mark Robinson and Kevin Potts, joined World Rugby counterpart Alan Gilpin to share some insights on what rugby’s future holds in the US.

The trio sat down with reporters at the United by Rugby Summit on the eve of the game, and Gilpin outlined the mechanics of a five-year plan building into the US’s first-ever Rugby World Cup.

The development of rugby infrastructure for the event was a core focus, with World Rugby outlining its criteria and standards, but also emphasising the context around those standards and how they represent the game’s traditions and values. That context was received as a strong point of difference in the American sporting landscape.

Twenty-seven cities and areas were announced to be in the running for hosting rights at the summit, having each signed and submitted their respective letters of intent. Vancouver joined the party as Canada’s applicant, with the other 26 centres located within the US and representing the nation’s most iconic sporting hubs.

While in-depth documents were provided for the applicants, speakers at the summit highlighted some of the tournament’s practical requirements, such as the use of natural grass rather than artificial turf and keeping the Rugby World Cup team jerseys free from commercial sponsorships.

While the infrastructure will underpin the 2031 showpiece, its development is set to bring World Rugby and local representatives together in further establishing sustainable rugby facilities and engagement.

World Rugby’s collaborative approach was endorsed by New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson, who described the collaboration between the governing body and the unions as the strongest it has ever been.

As for rugby’s traction on the ground, Saturday’s Test sold 50,000 tickets within 24 hours of going on sale, with all 50 states and all 14 of Canada’s provinces represented in the audience. The numbers, which were very similar to those of last year’s All Blacks vs. Fiji Test in San Diego, paint a strong picture of the appetite North America has for rugby’s powerhouses.

The droves of Irish fans pouring into the city for the Test turned Chicago’s iconic inner city green, illustrating to the many Rugby World Cup 2031 applicants in attendance what the rugby community brings to the sport, and what embracing rugby could bring to their cities.

“We know New Zealand, Ireland, and a handful of other unions are really excited, willing participants,” Gilpin said when looking ahead to the next potential fixtures in the US. “That’s a great core to start with, and then we’ll bring others in as we can.”

Beyond the powerhouse nations, World Rugby has compiled comprehensive data on diasporas and is committed to connecting them with their home teams – a decisive factor in recent scheduling. Uniting the vast American rugby community was described as the ‘North Star’ of its efforts.

The existing global calendar was recognised as being well-placed to strengthen USA Rugby’s competitive standing, with the WXV and Pacific Four Series helping position the Eagles for a competitive future. Meanwhile, in the men’s game, the incoming biennial World Rugby Nations Championship is set to facilitate more compelling USA fixtures.

Outside of the traditional format, the LA Olympics provide an opportunity to grow rugby’s profile with the sevens game, and the development teams recently established by various major nations, such as the All Blacks XV and England A, are also poised to play a role.

“We’re looking at it as a question of how we collectively incentivise and link together to bring a brilliant five-year runway,” Gilpin explained. “And if we do all of that, not only will all of those unions benefit from the experience and the commercial opportunities, but we’ll build an amazing rugby audience here that will deliver a brilliant 2031.”