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One of the largest sporting events in the world, the Men’s Rugby World Cup is a massive draw for sports fans in the host country and overseas. The drama on the field is unparalleled—but the media attention and fans it attracts are also huge wins for the host nation’s economy and rugby’s popularity.

The last Men’s Rugby World Cup — held in Japan in 2019 — was a record-breaking success, with 1.7 million tickets sold and 242,000 fans from around the world rooting on their home countries.

But a U.S.-hosted cup could be even bigger.

In conducting its feasibility study, the U.S. Bid Committee found that over 3 million tickets could be sold across 48 Men’s Rugby World Cup matches, meaning the U.S would host the largest Men’s Rugby World Cup ever.

Case Study: Japan

Japan’s success is a great example for bringing the event to emerging markets within the sport. In 2019, over 2.2 million people participated in rugby for the first time in Asia, 1.2 million of them in Japan alone. Given the comparative size of the U.S. sports market and the 45 million surveyed fans interested in seeing the U.S. host, the U.S. could see almost double the number of new participants post-World Cup.

As rugby is established in more markets, the sport’s international recognition will grow. What better market for expansion than the largest sports market in the world?

A Win for the Economy

Hosting matches presents massive opportunity for the potential host cities, who typically see an influx of tourists and fans. With the NFL-caliber stadiums interested in hosting, infrastructure for the Cup will require very little additional investment. The tournament will create tens of thousands of jobs across the country and engage and excite host communities. Previous World Cups have created more than 45,000 new jobs. And ten thousand additional volunteers are expected to engage should the U.S. host.

On the back of a hugely successful sevens team, rugby is already growing steadily in the U.S. But the magnitude of hosting the first Men’s Rugby World Cup ever in North or South America would catapult rugby into the forefront of American public attention. Across the two continents, nearly 1 billion people watched the last Rugby World Cup on TV. Just imagine how many would tune in if the games were played on home turf, in their time zone.

With a growing love for rugby, world-class stadiums coast-to-coast, and the largest media market in the world to support the event; the U.S. is ready to unite existing rugby fans, introduce the game to new ones and deliver a world-class tournament that is uniquely American.

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