England legend’s ‘greater good’ message over World Rugby’s ambition to stage a Six Nations match in USA
Italy and Ireland did play a fixture in the Windy City back in 2018 but that was an autumn international.
World Rugby’s ambition to stage a Six Nations match in the United States has won the support of former England star Anthony Watson.
A week ago South Africa played New Zealand at a sold-out stadium in Baltimore while on Saturday two US colleges expect to pack out Wembley for an American Football match.
Rugby League is returning to Las Vegas for a third time in February, with Bradford Bulls and Leigh Leopards booked in for a Super League clash, while Aussie Rules chiefs have indicated they are keen to follow suit.
With every major sport scouting out new markets and fresh commercial opportunities, both to make money and grow its supporter base, Watson believes the time is right for union’s blue riband tournament to take a game Stateside.
Greater good
He said: “When we’re talking about growing the game of rugby, sometimes you’ve got to do things for the greater good.
“My instinctive reaction is, if I was playing and it was a home game for England, absolutely not. But as a spectator, as a fan of the sport, I think absolutely.
“As a now ex-player I think rugby needs to grow its audience, though the sport would need to be really clever and innovative around how it does that.
“I don’t think just playing a game in New York is going to do the things it needs to do to benefit the sport.
“You have to be smart around how you activate the game, how you get key people involved with real influence in America to be able to promote the sport.
“Essentially, what I’m trying to say is, yes, I think a Six Nations game in America would be good for the game of rugby.”
Watson’s intervention comes a week after World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin broached the subject ahead of the Springboks-All Blacks series finale – and offered financial incentives to interested unions.
The sport’s governing body is desperate to build interest in rugby across the Atlantic after awarding the men’s and women’s World Cups to the US in 2031 and 2033 respectively.
“In terms of the matchday economics [SA v NZ] is like a Six Nations match,” Gilpin told The Telegraph. “It starts to show that [financial return] is not the barrier. So if there is the appetite to take some of these big matches in the future to the US, we can now.”
Gilpin used the example of Ireland against Italy as a fixture that would resonate with expat fans in the US, particularly if played in either New York or Chicago.
In New York 2.3 million residents claim Italian ancestry and Irish Americans make up 5.3 per cent of the city’s population. In Chicago there are an estimated 570,000 residents of Italian descent and 450,000 who bleed green.
The two countries did play a fixture in the Windy City back in 2018, when Ireland won 54-7. But that was an autumn international. Nobody has yet bitten the Six Nations bullet.
Wales took their home championship matches to England in 1998 and 1999, hiring out Wembley, but that was out of necessity while the Millennium (now Principality) Stadium was being built in Cardiff.
Rugby warning
Watson, speaking as an ambassador of tonight’s London City 7s, is a huge fan of sport in America. He previously revealed to Planet Rugby that he seriously considered switching to the NFL only for his dream to be thwarted by a freak Achilles rupture.
“The NFL is a bit of an outlier in that they do have fans all over the world, and in a different way to rugby,” added the former Bath, Leicester and British & Irish Lions star.
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“They could slap a game anywhere in the world and get spectators there. Whereas rugby needs to be very careful and considered with where they put the game, how they activate, how they get the right people involved to ensure the outcome it needs.”
For now, union bosses are resistant to change, as confirmed by a statement from the Irish Rugby Football Union.
“We believe the Six Nations holds a special place for supporters across all participating unions,” said an IRFU spokesperson. “The opportunity for fans in Ireland and Italy to support their teams at home remains a central part of the competition’s appeal.”
London City 7s is world-class rugby sevens on your doorstep, fast, high-scoring action with great food, drink and an electric City crowd. A premium day out, whether you’re a die-hard fan or here for the occasion. Buy tickets here.
