Ireland To Play USA As Part Of Summer Tour

The sides last met in Houston in June 2013 when a young Ireland team, captained by Peter O’Mahony, and featuring Robbie Henshaw on his debut, beat the USA 15-12.

Both nations were part of history during this past November’s ‘The Rugby Weekend’ when over 80,000 faithful rugby fans travelled the globe to view two international matches in Chicago.

As part of ‘The Rugby Weekend’, the USA Eagles hosted the Maori All Blacks in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,007 in Toyota Park and Ireland defeated New Zealand for the first time in 111 years of fixtures between the two nations, in front of a record-setting, Irish-dominated crowd of 62,300.
 
“We are very honored to be hosting Ireland in the Emirates Airlines Summer Series,” said USA Rugby CEO Dan Payne. “The value they provided to rugby history throughout the world and toward the growth and awareness of the game in our country this past November in Chicago was phenomenal.

“This match will not only give our men a world class opponent as we prepare for the road ahead, but they’re also clearly a fan favorite in the United States. With 35 million Americans claiming Irish-American heritage in our country, this match will be a strong fit on all levels.”

IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne commented: “It is great to be returning to the US this summer. The team received a fantastic reception in Chicago last November and USA Rugby provided great support on the ground.

“There are a lot of Ireland rugby fans on the east coast of America and we hope that they will again come out in numbers to support the team this summer. We are looking forward to taking on the Eagles in New Jersey in June.”
 
TLA has been at the forefront of rugby’s growth in the US, partnering with USA Rugby for the record-setting All Blacks v Ireland match at Chicago’s Soldier Field last November, as well as for the inaugural rugby match at the same venue in 2014 featuring the All Blacks and the USA Eagles. 
 
“Rugby is the fastest growing sport in the United States,” said Mike Principe, CEO of TLA Worldwide. “We are pleased to partner with the top unions in the world, like USA Rugby and the IRFU, who have the vision to bring the best rugby in the world to the States and continue to foster its growth.”
 
Members of the USA Rugby ticket pre-sale list will have first access to purchase tickets for the USA v. Ireland match from 12am ET on Thursday, Febuary 23 through 11.59pm ET on Saturday, February 25, with the general sale to follow on Monday, February 27. Fans interested in joining the official pre-sale list should visit www.USARugby.org/tickets.

Following the USA clash, Ireland will then travel to Japan to play two Test matches – the first on Saturday, June 17 and the second on Saturday, June 24. Details of tickets for the Japan tour will be announced shortly.