A crowded American sports market
Rugby is preparing for a sequence of major events in the United States, but the sport still faces a difficult competition for attention. Reuters reported that even leading international players could move around Baltimore with limited public recognition before a match between South Africa and New Zealand.
The challenge is structural. The NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL already command large audiences, media-rights deals and sponsorship budgets. Soccer has also expanded its U.S. profile. Rugby must therefore build regular familiarity rather than rely on a single high-profile match.
Three major milestones
Rugby sevens will be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The United States will then host the men's Rugby World Cup in 2031 and the women's tournament in 2033. Governing bodies and organizers view those events as a rare long-term opportunity to introduce the sport to new audiences.
USA Rugby told Reuters that it had more than 100,000 active members across youth, high-school, college and senior-club levels. The organization wants membership to reach 500,000 by the time the World Cups are staged. That number is an organizational target, not a forecast.
What growth would require
Sports-marketing analyst Bob Dorfman told Reuters that rugby needs a reliable sponsorship pipeline and regular television exposure. USA Rugby chief executive Bill Goren emphasized coordination across the sport and clearer pathways that help interested people find places to play.
Recognizable athletes can also help. Ilona Maher's public profile grew during the 2024 Paris Olympics as the United States won bronze in rugby sevens. Organizers hope future events can create more moments that connect elite competition with youth participation and community clubs.
What remains uncertain
Large crowds for international fixtures do not automatically produce long-term participation or broadcast audiences. The expansion effort will depend on repeated access, local coaching capacity, sponsorship and sustained media coverage. Verdvit will treat future attendance and membership figures as dated status updates rather than evidence that the target has already been achieved.
Related coverage
See Verdvit's 2026 NFL season preview for another view of how American sports leagues use international events to build audiences.
