By Garrett Dvorkin | Baltimore Business Journal
Baltimore has landed a major international rugby match that could boost the city’s bid to host games in the 2031 Rugby World Cup.
The South African national rugby team will play against its biggest rival, the New Zealand national rugby team, at M&T Bank Stadium on Sept. 12, in what will be the teams’ first match against each other on American soil.
South African Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said playing in Baltimore will help grow the game’s popularity stateside, creating some new fans for when his team comes back to the U.S. in 2031 for the Rugby World Cup. He also thinks the match could bolster Baltimore’s chances to host some games in 2031.
“Baltimore would like to be a host in the 2031 World Cup, and I see this as a way to strengthen their bargaining position with World Rugby when deciding where the World Cup is going to be played,” he said.
The city faces some stiff competition in its quest to host World Cup games in 2031. When the Maryland Sports Commission, Visit Baltimore and the Baltimore Ravens officially submitted their bid last year, Baltimore joined 26 other cities in the running to host matches. Nearby host city contenders include Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.
Baltimore has seen its share of international teams play at M&T Bank Stadium in recent years, but none of the matchups have carried the same history as that of South Africa, known as the Springboks, and New Zealand, known as the All Blacks. The two national teams are the most successful in the sport’s history, winning a combined 7 of 10 Rugby World Cup titles. They also have a history of traveling internationally.
For South Africa, the game represents the team’s first chance to reach American fans in years. South Africa has only played two games on U.S. soil, with the first being against the United States in 2001, and the second in 2018 at RFK Stadium in D.C. against Wales. New Zealand has a longer history of playing in the U.S., traveling for games in Chicago against Ireland as well as matches in D.C. and San Diego in recent years.
The game at M&T Bank Stadium could give Baltimore a taste of the economic impact of hosting an international rugby match. Oberholzer expects there to be plenty of South African fans in attendance and mentioned the 170,000 South African expats living in the United States. The team’s two largest sponsors, American companies Nike and Coca-Cola, are enthusiastic supporters of the team coming to Baltimore.
If Baltimore lands a World Cup match, it could bring thousands of new international fans to the city. The tournament is projected to have an economic impact between $1.3 billion and $3.8 billion, according to previous Business Journal reporting. It is also expected to draw between 150,000 and 400,000 international visitors to the country.
It will be a while before Baltimore finds out if its bid is successful. World Rugby and USA Rugby, the tournament organizers, will work with applicant cities during the next 14 months, with plans to announce finalists toward the end of the year. The exact number of host cities hasn’t been released by World Rugby, but former Maryland Sports Commission executive director Terry Hasseltine previously estimated that 12 to 16 cities will be selected.
The September match at M&T Bank Stadium could be just what World Rugby wants to see. Oberholzer said World Rugby is on a mission to grow the game’s awareness in the United States.
“The decision that World Rugby made to take the World Cup to America was a brave one, and one we fully support,” he said. “We believe this can be one of the more successful World Cups. We are not so arrogant to say that the World Cup will [turn] America into a rugby-first country, but there is support here that is untapped.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of South African Rugby