World Rugby plots for championship final in New York, USA to host Bledisloe Cup
While the NRL and its chairman Peter V’landys have been aggressive in their courting of the US sporting market, World Rugby boss Brett Robinson has revealed his code is mapping out a plan of its own for the States.
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WE see your Las Vegas opening round, and raise you a US Bledisloe Cup and major final in New York before America hosts its first Rugby World Cup.
That is the strategic path laid down by World Rugby boss Brett Robinson as the game looks to grow its American footprint while consolidating its position as the world’s premier contact sport, amid rugby league’s foray into the US and Papua New Guinea.
While the NRL and its chairman Peter V’landys have been aggressive in their courting of the US sporting market, Robinson revealed World Rugby is mapping out a swathe of events involving major nations to lure American eyes before they host the 2031 World Cup, which is expected to deliver more than $2 billion to the code.
“As we’ve said previously, 470 million pounds of surplus out of France (2023 World Cup), close to a billion Aussie dollars, 500 to 550 million pounds surplus out of (2027) Australia ($1.13 billion), we’re targeting 750 to 1.2 billion pounds ($2.48 billion) out of the US,” Robinson said.
“So big ambitions in terms of what’s in front of us.”
Robinson said his major focus is expanding rugby’s profile in the States.
“From my perspective, it’s locking down a commitment to the US, I’ve just come from LA, just come from a meeting with the US Federation, and we’re going to take to council next week a recommitment to 31 and to 33 (women’s World Cup), and how do we do that with the unions?
“So how do we align the major nations taking product to the US ahead of the 31? How do we ensure that the Chicago All Blacks Test match (against Ireland) later this year is not just a one-off, but we build a program of events with all the major unions to raise the profile?
“How do we work on a 2030 Nations Championship final series in New York where we’re going to host the final?
“They’re the sorts of conversations that we need to get into with the major unions in the next six months to galvanise our direction.”
Much like their Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup proposal that was shut down by New Zealand, Rugby Australia is open to a trans-Tasman showdown in the US alongside any ideas that bring new revenue into the game.
The 2030 Nations Cup final in New York will be a major event, the first Test match involving tier-one nations in the Big Apple.
The Nations Cup, to be played for the first time next year, is a 12-team mini World Cup that will be played every two years between World Cups and outside of British & Irish Lions series.
The Six Nations teams, as well as Rugby Championship sides along with Fiji and Japan, will contest the tournament in 2026, 2028 and 2030 – with the winners of the European division facing the winners of the “Rest of the World” division in a grand final at the end of the year.
V’Landys could not be reached for comment on Monday, but has previously described rugby union as boring, and last week said the new Perth Bears team to enter the competition in 2027 could share players with the Western Force.
It’s been widely reported that the NRL could also offer teams subsidies for poaching Wallabies and Super Rugby stars to fill the rosters of their new clubs.
But Robinson, speaking at the formal announcement of Nine and Stan Sport winning the rights to the 2027 men’s and 2025 and 2029 women’s World Cups, said rugby will always have what rival Aussie codes can only dream of.
“I’ll leave Peter to make his own comments, what I always try to focus upon is how we are so different to rugby league and what that difference means for young athletes and what it means to play rugby, not just for the financial benefits, but for what it means off the field,” Robinson said.
“We have a bunch of boys in Port Elizabeth right now that have just been undefeated in the (under-20s) Rugby Championship, they beat the Pumas overnight, they beat the Springboks at home, and they drew with the All Blacks and were unlucky to not win the tournament on the back of a bonus point.
“I look at those aspiring athletes. I was in LA with the women last weekend. The Australian women’s sevens team would have to be one of the most outstanding sporting teams in this country.
“That is what we need to focus in on. If we focus on our own backyard, success of our national teams, ability to play for your country, ability to travel the world, ability to participate in World Cups, that’s our point of difference.
“And the rugby league have always been there, 100-odd years, and we respect them, but they’re primarily a domestic competition, with some aspirations globally.
“But we’re a truly global game, and that’s our point of difference that I think other football codes in Australia long for.”
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