World Rugby has expressed a willingness to support any nation that wishes to relocate a Six Nations fixture to the United States, as part of a broader strategy to expand the sport's presence in the American market. The organization sees the historical appeal of the Six Nations, combined with strong expatriate fan bases in the U.S., as a potential avenue for growth.
"If you could take a Six Nations game to the right place, to a Boston or to a New York, where there's a lot of those fanbases, you can definitely drive the economics," noted one official. This approach acknowledges the potential for significant commercial success by tapping into established communities of Irish and Italian rugby fans living in the U.S. The counter-argument, that fans in the home countries might object to a fixture being moved thousands of miles away, is seen as a challenge to be worked through, with the understanding that it would still offer those expatriate fans a chance to see their national teams play.
While World Rugby could provide assistance, the final decision on relocating a match would rest with the participating teams. The logistics and fan reaction to moving a fixture so far from its traditional home present a significant hurdle, particularly given the tournament's 143-year history. Notably, Wales did play home matches at London's Wembley Stadium in 1998 and 1999 while their current stadium was under construction, but a move to the U.S. would be unprecedented.
The schedules for both the men's and women's Six Nations tournaments in 2027 have already been finalized. However, past rugby events in the U.S. have drawn substantial crowds, indicating a potential appetite for the sport. The All Blacks, for example, played in front of a capacity 60,000-strong crowd at Chicago's Soldier Field in 2016 and a rematch in 2025 is also expected to be a commercial success. New Zealand has also hosted matches against the U.S. and Fiji in recent years, attracting tens of thousands of spectators.