INTERNATIONAL: It might not be the biggest rugby-playing nation on Earth, but it still wants to host both the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups. The United States formally launched its bids on Wednesday. It wants the Men's Rugby World Cup in either 2027 or 2031 and the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2029.
It’s the first time a nation has bid on both the Men's and Women's Rugby World Cups at the same time. Typically American, you might think, but if the bid is successful, it would be the first time that a Men's Rugby World Cup has been held in the Americas. The bid plan includes a number of US cities, including New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Orlando, Miami, Las Vegas and Chicago, according to USA Rugby CEO, Ross Young:
"We all want this game to be where it deserves to be within the U.S. landscape and the knock on effect of having events like Rugby World Cup in the U.S. will give us the opportunity to get together, get behind it and really show what we can do."
The bid includes state-of-the-art, technologically advanced sporting venues like the Rose Bowl, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and Levi's Stadium in San Francisco. The bid group anticipates a projected 3.1 million fans attending a total of 48 matches, according to bid chairman, Jim Brown:
"This part of the world, North or South America, has never hosted a Rugby World Cup and if you look at the map I think the time is now to at least be considered strongly and I think the growth of the event has gotten to the point where its a very attractive opportunity to host and it's also a very attractive opportunity for World Rugby to go to another market like the United States, similar to Japan which we trust if done well and delivered properly and package the right way could boost Rugby not only in the United States but rugby globally."
Australia is currently considered the front runner to host the event in 2027. A final vote on site selection will take place at the World Rugby governing body in May 2022.
PHOTO: NEWS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING LAUNCH OF USA RUGBY WORLD CUP BID
