Nashville Considered As Host City For U.S. Rugby World Cup Bid

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The United States has thrown its hat in the ring and entered a bid to host the Menʼs Rugby World Cup in 2027 or 2031, as well as the Womenʼs Rugby World Cup in 2029, listing Nashville as a possible host city.

This is the first time a nation has bid on both the Menʼs and Womenʼs Rugby World Cups together and, if the bid is successful, will mark the first time a Menʼs Rugby World Cup has been held in North or South America.

“This is a proud moment as we introduce our vision for a Rugby World Cup on American soil,” says USA Rugby World Cup Bid Chair Jim Brown. “After working on this for a year now, we are confident in the strength of this bid, the support around us, the cities and stadiums interested in hosting, our countryʼs top-level infrastructure for large-scale sports events and the opportunity the U.S. population of sports fans presents for rugbyʼs growth, both domestically and globally.”

New research conducted by the bid team revealed that, 80% of sports fans and 93% of rugby fans said they support the U.S. hosting the Menʼs and Womenʼs Rugby World Cups in the near future. Additionally, 78% of sports fans and 90% of rugby fans believe the U.S. is well-equipped to host.

“After my experiences as a player with the USA National Team, I cannot imagine anything that would mean more to rugby players, fans and supporters than hosting a Rugby World Cup in the United States,” says World Rugby Hall of Fame Inductee and Womenʼs Sports Foundation President Phaidra Knight. “Itʼs clear that current U.S. rugby fans are excited about the potential of hosting Rugby World Cup events, and that fans of other sports are interested in learning more about rugby. These are two phenomenal groups weʼre excited to bring together through this experience. Additionally, the United States boasts strong womenʼs sports infrastructure and interest, two things that are lacking globally, making us uniquely suited to host the 2029 Rugby World Cup.”

The bid campaign will continue to be funded and resourced by investments from rugby stakeholders and supporters across the U.S. as the planning and preparation phase continues ahead of World Rugbyʼs January 2022 proposal deadline.

Along with Nashville, other cities that are currently being considered for upcoming Rugby World Cups include: Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Baltimore; Birmingham, Alabama; Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago; Cincinnati; Dallas; Denver; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Miami; Minneapolis; New Orleans; New York; Orlando; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Vancouver, B.C. and Washington D.C.

Steven Boero
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