GLENDALE, Colo. (April 20, 2022) – As of Tuesday, April 19, the USA Rugby and the Rugby World Cup Bid Committee has finalized and submitted all necessary materials to World Rugby to complete its bid to host the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup and 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup. These materials include a letter from President Joe Biden voicing strong support for the bid on behalf of the United States. The World Rugby Council will vote on May 12 to determine the official host union for the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups.

The President’s letter to World Rugby pledges his  full support, stating that “the United States strongly supports the effort to bring the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup Tournament and the 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup Tournament (‘Tournaments’) to our country, and looks forward to working with Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) to help deliver the most successful Rugby World Cup’s in history.” Full text of the letter can be found here.

President Biden’s letter assures World Rugby that the government will support RWCL in connection with hosting and will seek the enactment of legislation needed to organize and stage them. Additionally, the President noted that the United States will support “efforts associated with the Tournaments to promote the development of rugby in the United States and worldwide in a sustainable and humanitarian manner.”

“We are honored and humbled that President Biden shares our optimism not only about hosting upcoming Rugby World Cup’s in the United States, but also about the vast potential the sport has in this country,” said USA Rugby World Cup Bid Chair Jim Brown. “The support of federal, state and local governments is fundamental to the successful planning and execution of a world-class event and this strong endorsement by the President marks a huge step forward in our plans to host incredible Rugby World Cup tournaments in the United States in 2031 and 2033.”

“USA Rugby and the USA Rugby World Cup Bid Committee are grateful to President Biden for the vote of support and to World Rugby for their thoughtful collaboration throughout the bid process, we now optimistically look forward to World Rugby’s final decision in less than a month,” said USA Rugby CEO Ross Young. “The potential to grow the sport of rugby in the United States is truly immense, and we’re all excitedly awaiting next steps should the U.S. be awarded the opportunity to host.”

In addition to the Presidential validation, also included in documents submitted to World Rugby were a list of cities and venues across the United States that have pledged official support for the bid in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding. The cities that plan to continue to pursue the opportunity to host matches in either or both Rugby World Cup tournaments include, but are not limited to:

• Atlanta, GA
• Austin, TX
• Baltimore, MD
• Birmingham, AL
• Boston, MA
• Charlotte, NC
• Chicago, IL
• Dallas, TX
• Denver, CO
• Glendale, AZ
• Houston, TX
• Kansas City, MO
• Los Angeles, CA
• Minneapolis, MN
• Miami, FL
• Nashville, TN
• New York / New Jersey
• Orlando, FL
• Philadelphia, PA
• Pittsburgh, PA
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco Bay Area, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC

“The cities, stadiums and stakeholders across the United States that we’ve been working with us over the course of the last year have all shown incredible enthusiasm for hosting Rugby World Cup matches, and we’re grateful for their partnership and collaboration,” said Brown. “As we begin to zero in on how Rugby World Cup tournaments in the United States will come to life, we’re thrilled to be working with this elite group of sports commissions, venues and local governments in diverse and exciting cities from coast to coast.”

Other bid materials logged with World Rugby over the past two weeks include a preliminary budget structure, comprehensive data on the candidate host cities and stadiums, along with an initial  rugby development and legacy proposal to elevate growth across all levels of the game in the United States.

With the final bid materials now submitted, the next step is for the World Rugby Council to vote on May 12 to determine if the United States will officially be awarded the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups.

 
CONTACT:

Calder Cahill (ccahill@usa.rugby)

Liz Beadle (liz.beadle@fgh.com)