27 North American cities want to host Rugby World Cup matches in 2031

Ahead of the All Blacks’ match against Ireland in Chicago, World Rugby confirmed that 27 US cities have entered the application 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 proceed with the selection process. The 27 cities include 33 potential locations, with some major cities putting forward more than one potential stadium.

The list of cities includes most major metropolitan areas of the US. Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Seattle and Washington, DC 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 as North American rugby hotspots.

It is expected that the 27 cities will be reduced to a final list of thirteen to fifteen by the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. That will give the selected host cities approximately four full years to prepare for the first Rugby World Cup on American soil.

“The enthusiastic response from across the US has been extraordinary,” the World Rugby Chief Executive told media in Chicago. “These cities and areas represent not only iconic sporting destinations, but also new, emerging and existing rugby communities.”

The host city selection process and the expansion of premier rugby events, such as the Chicago match between Ireland and New Zealand, are part of World Rugby’s US Growth Plan, which was announced in Washington, DC in July.

Rugby’s governing body has already stated that it plans to invest more than $250 million in American rugby. As before reported in Sports Business Journal, the money will be spent on improving infrastructure and development pathways, expanding the women’s game and increasing the number of top-level international test matches in the lead-up to the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups.

Gilpin said the enthusiasm of the potential host cities “underlines the opportunity the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup presents to cement the United States’ status as a major player in global rugby, as well as 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, selling more than 440,000 tickets and breaking several attendance records, including for the final, which attracted almost 82,000 fans. World Rugby is betting that the 2031 and 2033 tournaments in the US will see attendance and revenue records plummet, 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 site assessments, which are expected to begin in November this year. The governing bodies will also share hosting requirements with the cities, who in turn will have to describe what kind of opportunities and heritage potential they can bring to the tournament.

By 2026, selected cities will move from the candidate phase of the process to the candidate phase. Final selections will be made after the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia and the tournament draw will be announced in late 2029, with the fixture allocated to each host city.

Cities not selected for hosting duties can still participate in the tournament as a base camp for specific teams. The norm at Rugby World Cups is for each national team to choose a base camp for the duration of their participation in the tournament, with the exception of the semi-final, final and possible third place match, which will likely require them to move cities. Either way, this could give anywhere from thirteen to thirty cities the opportunity to host a Rugby World Cup team in some capacity.

With the selection of the host nations underway, there is no turning back from a Rugby World Cup in the US. The country has about six years to prepare for the third largest sporting event in the world. As evidenced by the All Blacks vs Ireland match in Chicago, big matches between two heavyweights sell out within days. What remains to be seen is whether the twenty-four-team tournament can capture the attention of the entire American sports market for more than a month.