WORLD’S THIRD LARGEST SPORTING EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE IN UNITED STATES FOR FIRST TIME; MORE THAN TWO DOZEN CITIES VYING TO BE AMONG HOST SITES FOR THE TOURNAMENT
ST. LOUIS – September 28, 2026 – In its pursuit to host one of the biggest international sporting events, St. Louis has taken the next step. The St. Louis Sports Commission has submitted the region’s bid to be a host city for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2031. If successful, matches would take place at the Dome at America’s Center in September and October of that year.
The submission of the formal bid follows World Rugby announcing last fall that St. Louis was one of 27 applicant cities that provided a letter of intent to be considered in the selection process. In the coming months, World Rugby will evaluate the proposals it has received and provide feedback to the applicant cities and venues. Final proposals are then due in January, with World Rugby expected to confirm which applicant cities and venues advance to the candidate phase in late February. The selected host cities will be announced following the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
“The Sports Commission is thrilled to spearhead the effort to bring the Rugby World Cup to St. Louis, and we’re very proud of the bid that has been summitted,” said Sports Commission Vice President of Events Brad Wachler. “This will be a highly competitive process with many outstanding American cities capable of hosting the event. But St. Louis has an excellent story to tell with a community that always rises to the occasion for major sporting events, a Dome that is well-suited to host the matches, a perfect blend of amenities and accessibility, and a vision that will achieve World Rugby’s goals to produce an overwhelmingly successful event and grow the sport in the U.S. This summer we saw the immense positive impact of hosting a global sporting event in North America, and it would be so meaningful for St. Louis to experience that impact firsthand in 2031.”
The Men’s Rugby World Cup is the world’s third-largest sports tournament, comprised of 24 national rugby teams playing 52 matches over the course of six weeks. The 2023 Men’s Rugby World Cup was hosted in France, with an estimated $871 million boost to France’s economy, a total of 425,000 international visitors, and 1.3 billion broadcast viewing hours. In 2027, Australia will host the Rugby World Cup and there have already been more than one million tickets purchased from 135 countries.
Rugby World Cup 2031 represents a transformational moment for rugby in the United States – an opportunity to bring one of the world’s most popular sports to new audiences and establish a legacy of participation, connection, and growth that will benefit the game for decades to come – and St. Louis plans to be a cornerstone of World Rugby’s strategic plan for growth in America. To learn more about the Men’s Rugby World Cup, visit www.rugbyworldcup.com.