Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Washington DC’s RFK Stadium will host the international rugby match between Wales and South Africa. As reported early last month, the match will be played on June 2, the weekend before the official World Rugby June test window opens. Kickoff time is yet to be confirmed.
This will be the first visit of Wales to the USA since 2009, and the first since 2001 for South Africa. The neutral-venue match is a latest in a series of similar matches geared towards expanding the visibility of rugby in the North American market.
Ireland played New Zealand at Chicago’s Soldier Field in November 2016, and the Aviva Premiership hosted its second ‘American Series’ match in Philadelphia last September.
A proposed Super Rugby preseason match between the Bulls and Stormers in Los Angeles on February 3 was cancelled. It was later confirmed that unsuitable flight arrangements were behind the decision, but the setback has not affected a deal being struck with the South African Rugby Union for the DC match.
The for-profit commercial arm of USA Rugby – Rugby International Marketing (RIM) – will take sole responsibility for match promotion, a first for the organization. Public ticket sales will begin on March 13, and can be purchased on the event’s official website.
