All Blacks visit marks a milestone moment for U.S. Rugby

The All Blacks’ first visit to the United States in 34 years is set to shatter the rugby attendance record in America and, hopefully, pique interest in the game Stateside. Soldier Field, home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears, was sold-out for the one-off Test on Saturday, promising an historic crowd of 61,000-plus that will more than treble the previous record rugby crowd of 20,181 for a United States match against Ireland in Houston in 2013. Regardless of the outcome, it’s a milestone moment for a USA Rugby federation keen to raise the profile of the game in the crowded U.S. sports landscape.

This is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the global game of rugby to American sports fans.

USA Rugby Chief Executive Officer Nigel Melville, a former England captain

The inclusion of rugby sevens in the 2016 Rio Olympic program has boosted interest in the game in America. With potential Olympic medals at stake funding has flowed into the sport, and that opportunity is also an attention grabber for talented athletes who might otherwise direct their efforts to the gridiron or basketball court. Olympic broadcaster NBC will carry live coverage of a match Melville has called the “biggest game in U.S. rugby history.”

USA Rugby Sports