USA Rugby to host the All Blacks in Washington DC
- 2443
The U.S. Men's National Rugby Team, The Eagles, will host the New Zealand All Blacks, for the first time ever in Washington, DC when they square off on Saturday, October 23, 2021 in the inaugural 1874 Cup, at FedExField.
It will be the first time the All Blacks have played in the United States since 2016.
"Mayor Bowser is excited to welcome this major international rugby test match to Washington, D.C.," said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. "With our championship winning teams and experience hosting major sporting events, DC is the Sports Capital. We look forward to joining residents and visitors in celebrating our rugby all stars this fall."
The 1874 Cup references the year rugby was first played in the United States, a collegiate match between McGill and Harvard University. The 1874 Cup celebrates the long and ever growing history the United States has with the game of rugby.
All Blacks Head Coach Ian Foster added: "We're really excited to again be going back to the United States. To go to Washington, D.C. for a first-ever All Blacks Test there will be exciting for the team. We've had a couple of great experiences in the US already, albeit with one bad result against Ireland in 2016. But our game against the USA in 2014 was highly memorable, with real excitement from the crowd and huge interest in the All Blacks. So hopefully it's another chance to grow the game of rugby there."
The USA Eagles are coming off their first assembly since 2019 and look ahead to a busy fall with qualification for the 2023 France Rugby World Cup in focus. The United States are hosting both New Zealand and Ireland this fall as they lead the effort to bring the Rugby World Cup to the United States in 2027 or 2031 for the men and 2029 for the women.
