World Rugby Backs US Six Nations Switch — SkimNews
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- World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin offered to back any nation wanting to switch a Six Nations match to the US, citing the sell-out 71,000-capacity M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore for Saturday's South Africa–New Zealand Test as evidence the financial case is no longer a barrier.
- Gilpin floated an Ireland vs Italy fixture in Boston or New York as a model, arguing cities with large Irish and Italian expatriate fanbases could drive ticket revenue, while acknowledging home-country supporters would object to losing a home game.
- The men's and women's Rugby World Cups are scheduled for the United States in 2031 and 2033 respectively, and Gilpin said World Rugby is keen to bring more prestige fixtures across the Atlantic ahead of those tournaments.
- Wales played home Six Nations matches at London's Wembley Stadium in 1998 and 1999 while the Principality Stadium was being built, but a transatlantic venue switch would be unprecedented in the tournament's 143-year history.
- John Mitchell, England women's head coach and former US men's head coach, told BBC Radio 5 Live that he doubts rugby can scale in America, saying 'American sport is full of rivalries and I just don't think Americans adjust to new rivalries or new franchises.'
- The 2027 schedules for both the men's and women's Six Nations have already been confirmed, meaning any US-hosted fixture would come after that window.
Why it matters: World Rugby now has a 71,000-seat sellout in Baltimore as evidence, but the six competing unions each control their own home fixtures. Gilpin himself flagged domestic-fan backlash as the central hurdle, and the 2031 and 2033 US-hosted Rugby World Cups create a deadline by which the American market has to start scaling.
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