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The USA is in an exclusive bid position for Rugby World Cup 2031. World Rugby is in exclusive talks with USA Rugby to have the Men’s RWC tournament played in the Americas for the first time.
In an interview with Martin Pengelly for the Guardian USA Rugby chief executive Ross Young said that the USA is in “exclusive targeted dialogue” to host the tournament. It will follow RWC 2027 which World Rugby has declared its preferred option as being Australia.
Australia hosted RWC 2003 and co-hosted RWC 1987 with New Zealand. RWC 2027 is thus to be the third Men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia and the second in seven tournaments. World Rugby is not public on the issue, though new hosts rather than previous hosts are sought.
The USA is World Rugby’s new option to host a RWC over the next decade. The Australia 2027 tournament will follow France 2023. Both are repeat hosts, and recent repeats as recently as 2003 and 2007.
Speaking on the USA’s position now and dialogue with World Rugby, Young said:
“Alan Gilpin (World Rugby CEO) has been quite clear here. Everyone else has been quite clear that we are in an exclusive period now. So we’ll either be awarded the World Cup in ’31 in May, or they’ll go back to the drawing board. They’re not going to announce anyone else.”
This is a new direction from World Rugby. Prior policies have not singled out a potential host country as the preferred candidate. Young notes that the position of World Rugby suits U.S. plans.
“we’ve said from the start of the process, we wouldn’t be able to get financial cash guarantees from government as previous host countries have.”
Young also spoke about the bigger picture of longevity and the legacy of a Rugby World Cup in the USA. The world’s largest economy is considered a jewel. Japan 2019 took the tournament to a new market and saw near or full-houses in what was easily the largest population of countries to have hosted a Rugby World Cup Final.
“The huge attraction of a World Cup coming here is rugby really starting to unlock, or using this 10-year pathway to unlock, the biggest media market in the world. Or unlock the potential for that media market.”
“We talk a lot about major events in terms of the legacy, of what that does for the sport after the event. What we’ve talked about with World Rugby is working in partnership around development funding: how do we pull forward that legacy funding to happen before the event, which ultimately will make it more successful for everyone, financially and operationally.”
“If we sit and wait for real development dollars to come out of the tournament post-31, we will have lost a huge opportunity. Whereas if we can raise the profile, raise the value of the game, and the Eagles brand and World Rugby’s brand, before the tournament, it’s going to make for a better result for everyone.”
