The Growth of Rugby in the United States and Its Place in the Global Game

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With the world’s most powerful broadcast market with an NFL-primed fanbase, a thriving college sports culture, and a diverse population with ties to rugby, the US is arguably the biggest market rugby is yet to crack. Now with the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups arriving in 2031 and 2033 respectively, rugby is entering the most important decade in its North American history.

Major League Rugby

Major League Rugby launched in 2018 with seven teams and peaked at thirteen franchises in 2022 before financial pressures forced a contraction. Four teams suspended operations ahead of 2026, and two more merged, leaving the league with six committed franchises.

However, a new Sunday Night Rugby slot on ESPN2 signals a genuine push for mainstream visibility. Its 75,000 viewers who watched the 2025 MLR final represent an audience interested in the rugby results today that simply didn’t exist a decade ago.

The Eagles and the Road to 2027

On the international stage, momentum is more encouraging as the USA Eagles secured qualification for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, ending an absence from the tournament that dated back to 2019.

Currently ranked 19th in the World Rugby Men’s Rankings, the Eagles will use Australia 2027 as an opportunity to showcase their growth on the world stage ahead of hosting the tournament in 2031.

The USA also participates in the newly launched World Rugby Nations Cup, giving the Eagles consistent, competitive Test rugby for the first time in their history.

The USA already has the third-highest number of rugby participants in the world, a statistic that surprises many, but one that underlines the gap between participation numbers and elite performance.

Where the USA Stands Relative to South Africa

That gap is significant, for example, the Springboks face eleven Tests in 2026 alone, including a four-match series against the All Blacks and matches against every Six Nations nation. The Eagles, by contrast, played just two Tier 1 fixtures in 2025, losing 40–5 to England and 85–0 to Scotland.

For South African rugby fans, the US game is best understood as a sport building the professional structures, coaching pipelines, and competitive habits that countries like South Africa, New Zealand, and England have accumulated over a century.

Final Thoughts

The American market offers rugby a scale that South Africa or any of the traditional bases cannot hope to match. A successful 2031 World Cup, hosted across a country of 330 million people with the world’s most powerful sports broadcasting market, could reshape the global game’s commercial landscape in ways that benefit every rugby nation, including the Springboks.