When Will the Usa Eagles Play Again in Chicago
The long-rumoured game betwixt the U.s.a. Eagles and the New Zealand All Blacks, the world champions who went undefeated through 14 Test matches in 2013, is set to have place at Soldier Field in Chicago on ane November.
On Sunday a New Zealand newspaper, the Herald on Sun, reported that "agreement is understood to take been reached that the All Blacks volition play a Test in Chicago on ii November". The cited engagement, a Sun, allows for New Zealand fourth dimension, which is 17 hours ahead of Usa key fourth dimension.
The study added: "The expectation is that a minimum 40,000 tickets will exist sold, which should enable United states Rugby to make a sizeable profit subsequently they have paid the New Zealand Rugby Union a guaranteed sum, believed to be $1m to cover their costs."
The NZRU and Us Rugby are both sponsored by the insurance giant AIG, which has mounted a entrada to grow the All Blacks' United states of america profile. Final calendar month, the Showtime programme threescore Minutes Sports circulate a special on the squad.
Soldier Field, the home of the NFL's Chicago Bears, can hold 61,500 spectators. Last year, the Eagles lost 29-19 to the Maori All Blacks – New Zealand'south de facto second team – in front of an 18,500 capacity crowd at PPL Park, the home of the Philadelphia Marriage MLS franchise. The Eagles' last two abode summer Tests, defeats past Italy and Republic of ireland at Houston Dynamo'southward BBVA Compass Stadium, attracted 17,241 and 20,181. They will play Scotland at the same venue in June.
The All Blacks-Eagles Test has been mooted since November 2013, when the NZRU master executive Steve Tew told a New Zealand website, stuff.co.nz, the marriage was looking to expand on that month'south trip to Tokyo.
"Japan was very successful," Tew said. "We were very happy with that, and nosotros will exist looking for a similar game in North America this time adjacent year."
New Zealand beat Nippon – who compete with the Usa in the Pacific Nations Cup, beating the Eagles 38-20 last year – 54-6, and went on to beat France, England and Republic of ireland. This year they volition follow their trip to the Usa with Tests against England, Scotland and Wales.
The All Blacks direction, led by head coach Steve Hansen, is reported to value games confronting "tier ii" countries in terms of preparation for World Cups, in which weaker teams are played before knockout games against more than established nations.
The Eagles last month qualified for the 2015 Rugby World Loving cup in England, after cartoon 27-27 with Uruguay in Montevideo and winning 32-xiii in the render game in Atlanta. The Eagles will play in Pool B, alongside South Africa, Scotland, Samoa and (in all likelihood) Japan.
New Zealand are drawn in Pool C, with Tonga, Georgia, an African qualifier and one of the weaker major nations, Argentine republic. The All Blacks will expect to face Ireland or France in the quarter-finals.
In November, asked nigh the likely opposition for the planned US game, given its falling outside the official autumn Examination window, Tew said: "It'due south likely to be against some sort of invitational side."
On Sunday, the Herald said: "USA Rugby is moving towards agreement with relevant English Premiership clubs about thespian release."
Given full access – which is by no means a given for 1 Nov, given the strict rules which govern actor release for international rugby – the Eagles tin can field a number of players employed by top-flight clubs. New Zealand, yet, are likely to be overwhelmingly stronger than even a full-strength US Fifteen, not least in the crucial front row of the scrum.
Pondering what the NZRU'due south side by side step in the U.s. might be, Herald rugby author Gregor Paul said: "Information technology's questionable, given the gulf in quality between the All Blacks and Eagles, whether another Test between the two would be a apparent exercise."
Chicago was not initially discussed as a venue for the game. In November, Tew said: "We're looking at some options … Our first preference is the east declension and to play somewhere close to New York, but we've got to find the appropriate stadium. Information technology'due south got to exist bachelor that weekend, and it'southward got to be big enough."
Like all NFL stadiums, Soldier Field has a playing surface that is too narrow for international rugby. The Herald said "some tinkering" would accept place to "ensure it is wide enough to host the fixture".
On Sunday, the Herald said a fixture against Ireland in New York or Boston remains on the NZRU'south agenda, despite doubts about the commercial viability of playing Exam matches at neutral venues instilled past the experience of taking Bledisloe Cup Tests against Australia to Tokyo and Hong Kong.
In the United states, meanwhile, Sabbatum and Sunday saw the offset scouting combine staged nether the auspices of the National Rugby Football League, an enterprise aiming to convert athletes from the major US sports into rugby players and to start a professional US rugby competition.
Two days of drills at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis were overseen by the quondam Ireland and Eagles coach Eddie O'Sullivan, alluring scouts from a number of European clubs.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/apr/07/all-blacks-us-eagles-rugby-soldier-field-chicago
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