World Cup in US set to be held in summer
Organisers considering move to avoid NFL clash
The Rugby World Cup could be moved from its autumn slot to the summer after the USA was handed hosting rights to the glittering showpiece for the first time.
At a meeting in Dublin yesterday, World Rugby confirmed the destinations for the next five tournaments, with America the venue for the men’s competition in 2031 and the women’s in 2033.
The USA’s bid for the men’s tournament involves plans to hold games at NFL stadiums and as the gridiron season starts in September the World Cup needs to be held earlier to avoid a clash.
Asked if World Rugby would consider moving the tournament, chief executive Alan Gilpin said: ‘We would. The US would ideally be slightly earlier in the year.
‘We need to spend some time thinking about what the challenges are with that. That will involve discussions with professional leagues around the world. We are not going to do a Qatar and just plonk it in the middle of a lot of other competitions.’ The Qatar reference was a dig at football’s 2022 World Cup, which will start in the Middle east in November and interrupt domestic leagues.
Rugby is the latest sport to try to crack the American market but moving the 2031 World Cup would present a multitude of problems. It raises the prospect of matches taking place in sweltering temperatures and concerns over player welfare.
But World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: ‘The USA is the golden nugget everyone wants to get a hold of. It’s the world’s biggest sporting market.’
It is hoped that the USA men’s World Cup would generate $1billion in ticket revenue — a figure which has proved impossible to reach at previous tournaments.
Gilpin added: ‘We look at the US in the same way we looked at the opportunity with Japan. It’s an outstanding place to develop the game. We will for sure see a tournament that’s bigger than a $1bn World Cup but I’m hoping we get there before 2031.’
england will host the women’s World Cup in 2025 and the RFU have set an ambitious target of selling out the 82,000-capacity Twickenham for the final.