The IRFU chief executive Kevin Potts has confirmed that it is their intention for Ireland to play a Test in the USA every year up until the US hosts the 2031 World Cup as the Union seeks to further expand its profile in the American market.
This weekend’s meeting the All Blacks is Ireland’s third game in Chicago since 2016 and, speaking on Friday evening in Chicago, Potts said: “The interest in the game, as those of you from Ireland know, is massive. I left a function earlier on today where 600 Irish-Americans, our players met them before they had the captain’s run. The sense of excitement around tomorrow is extraordinary.”
Potts was speaking at a briefing in Chicago hosted by the World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin alongside the NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson to discuss the latest developments in planning for USA’s hosting of the men’s Rugby World Cup 2031 and a long-term strategy to grow rugby’s share of attention in the USA.
“We’ve been working collaboratively with Alan and Mark and others over the last number of months to bring more of these events between now and 2031 and 2033 [Women’s World Cup] to the USA. And there’ll be more about that in due course. We in Ireland are really excited about that.
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“Obviously we have a 40 million diaspora we’re hoping to tap into and grow our footprint, but actually the footprint of the sport in the USA, the opportunity is massive. It’s also an opportunity for us to learn how they do things,” added Potts, in reference to the various Chicago franchises.
“The fan engagement, the fan entertainment, the joy, the spectacle was something we as a sport benefit from here in the USA. So, there’s a lot of learnings ahead, a lot of opportunity. We in the IRFU, together with New Zealand, have obviously tapped into that and in collaboration with Alan and Mark intend to continue to do so over the next five to six years.”
Both Potts and Robinson have noted how their centrally contracted model makes it feasible for them to add matches outside official World Rugby windows. But while the All Blacks are the likeliest opponents, Potts did not rule out arranging games with other countries and playing in other cities outside Chicago, with Los Angeles having been mooted as a host city in the past.
“We’re working in collaboration with Mark, but even if we weren’t I would say Ireland would be looking to go back to the States probably once a year over the next period of time. That will be now facilitated with Alan and Mark in cities that can add benefit to the host of the World Cup in 2031.”
All told, World Rugby have confirmed that 27 cities have expressed an interest in hosting matches at the 2031 World Cup.
Asked specifically when a match in the USA could be squeezed into an already crowded Test calendar, Potts said it could be outside the international windows for the Six Nations, summer tour and autumn series.
He suggested a week such as this one, ie ahead of the four-match international programme which will come into effect for the Nations Championship, including the addition of a final round of playoffs.
Or, alternatively, it could be ahead of Ireland’s three annual summer matches in the Nations Championship. Effectively therefore, this would mean Ireland a 13th Test every year, further eating into a URC weekend by withdrawing players from the provinces.
