FALCONS AND SARACENS TO CLASH IN U.S.
NEWCASTLE will ‘host’ Saracens in an Aviva Premiership fixture in Philadelphia on September 16 as English rugby tries to build its growing profile in America. Last season Saracens met London Irish at New Jersey’s Red Bull Arena — a qualified success, attracting a crowd of 14,811. That game was played during the Six Nations but Mark McCall’s Saracens — chasing a ‘double double’ of back-to-back league and European success — could be nearer full strength for the Falcons clash, depending on the
knock-on effect of the Lions tour. Switching the Newcastle game to an 18,500-seat Philadelphia arena illustrates an eagerness to promote the English brand in the States on the back of NBC’s Premiership coverage. It is part of rugby’s concerted push to expand into a potentially lucrative market, with the All Blacks taking on Ireland in Chicago last year and Guinness Pro12 even considering the notion of US-based franchises. The USA are a rising force in Sevens and World Rugby have also expressed a desire to support the development of the national 15-aside team, the Eagles, with more regular and significant fixtures. Wasps’ Jimmy Gopperth last night added the Premiership Player of the Year award to his RPA prize while Dai Young received the Director of Rugby gong. Kiwi playmaker Gopperth also won Try of the Season and Golden Boot to complete a stunning personal hat-trick and confound predictions that his influence would fade once Danny Cipriani arrived last summer. Young’s award was in recognition of Wasps finishing top just a few years after coming agonisingly close to financial oblivion. Wasps also scored a leaguerecord 89 tries and prolific winger Christian Wade received a prize for being top try scorer. The night’s other big prize, Discovery of the Season, went to Leicester’s rookie England prop Ellis Genge.