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Last week it was revealed that World Rugby are set to invest quarter of a billion dollars into US rugby over the next 5 years. It could not come at a more contentious time. The perception amongst dissenters will be that they are desperately trying to save the World Cups the USA have been awarded to host in 2031 and 2033. This is unfair; any glance at any number reveals that the potential return on investment for even a tiny foothold in the US sporting market would be game changing for rugby union.
Massachusetts, the home state of MLR champion side New England Free Jacks, has a greater population that Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand or, if you prefer, Wales and Georgia combined. The GDP? Well, there is no comparison between the USA and any other rugby nation. Anyone who says ‘grow the game’ with any ounce of credibility cannot dismiss the USA - it is a must.
Women’s rugby in North America is on a stable, if slightly slow, path of growth. Their Women’s Eagles team is stronger, the WER supports it and North American fans do not see women’s rugby as secondary to men’s - as revealed in World Rugby’s ‘blueprint for growth’ report.
When it comes to men’s rugby, however, the World Rugby will surely feel the need to once again step in. Thankfully, they secured World Cup qualification with an inspired defeat of Samoa in the final round of the Pacific Nations Cup, and in doing so saved many a blush for rugby’s powerbrokers.
Even so, this is no time to be complacent - there is still much work to be done. World Rugby has already enforced the creation of the Anthem RFC franchise in the MLR which is specifically designed to develop players for the national side - hence it supplies the bulk of the squad. The reason they felt the need to do this is they do not feel MLR is producing the talent the Eagles need to progress in the test arena. Unfortunately, in their 2 years of existence, Anthem are yet to win a game. More investment into that franchise or even a 2nd US development team must surely be on the cards.
But the US must also help itself. The qualification process for the 2027 rugby World Cup heavily favoured them with the expansion to 24 teams and the allocation of 5 automatic spots to the PNC, meaning they only had to win 1 game from 3 to book their ticket to Australia.
Whilst they did ultimately achieve that goal, the performances did little to inspire confidence that the program is on track. Their defeat at the hands of Canada was embarrassing and the statistics from their hammering against Japan made for truly ugly reading. The win against Samoa represents a bullet dodged rather than a mountain climbed.
The bullet in question, of course, is their South American rivals Chile. The Chileans impressed in their last game, a win against Uruguay, having humiliated Romania in the July tests. Their play is infused with the finest South America rugby flavours: fast footwork, excellent vision and supreme cardio fitness.
Plenty in South America feel they have been short changed with only one automatic World Cup spot (besides Argentina) having had 3 teams present at 2023 with none from North America. Some say they should be receiving the investment the USA is getting and that Super Rugby Americas has already overtaken the MLR as a competition. Those tensions only heightened this week as World Rugby confirmed they will be cutting their funding to South America by 14%.
All eyes now turn to their 2-legged play-off against Samoa, the first game being this weekend. If they win that, they will feel that they have proved World Rugby is wrong to continuously prioritise their Northern cousins. Part of them must surely be disappointed they will not get to prove that point directly in a face-off with the USA. The USA, on the other hand, will be breathing the biggest sigh of relief imaginable.