Charlotte Submits Bid To Host 2031 Rugby World Cup at Bank of America Stadium
Twenty-six other cities want the men’s tournament too. Bank of America Stadium would host matches if Charlotte wins.
Charlotte threw its hat into the ring for the 2031 Rugby World Cup. Twenty-six other cities want the men's tournament too. Bank of America Stadium would host matches if Charlotte wins.
World Rugby cut the list from 40 cities down to 27 on Friday, announcing the news at the United Rugby Summit in Chicago.
Charlotte Sports Foundation and Tepper Sports & Entertainment spearheaded the application. TSE will wrap up renovations at Bank of America Stadium in 2030, and they're also chasing the FIFA Women's World Cup that same year.
Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, the Bay Area, Birmingham, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, the Los Angeles region, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis, Vancouver, and Washington, D.C. are all vying for matches. The tournament kicks off in September and runs through October 2031.
"The 2031 tournament stands to cement the U.S.'s status as a major player in global rugby and inspire and unite new fans, audiences, and commercial partners for the sport," said Alan Gilpin, World Rugby's chief executive, per Axios.
World Rugby tested American appetite for the sport last summer. Two matches happened at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, bringing the USA Eagles to town for the first time. About 8,000 fans showed up across both games.
World Rugby sat down with interested hosts back in July 2024. Site visits came after those initial meetings, World Rugby chief communications officer Dominic Rumbles told Axios.
World Rugby and USA Rugby will spend the next 14 months checking out each applicant's stadium, studying whether they can pull it off and making sure they can handle everything required. They'll pick between 13 and 15 host cities in late 2027.
Anthem Rugby Carolina competes in Major League Rugby. The team calls Charlotte home and develops players for the USA Eagles as they fight to qualify for the World Cup.
Major League Rugby is struggling to gain traction. NOLA Gold and the Miami Sharks said they won't play in the 2026 season, though the league keeps adding new teams anyway.
Rugby is catching on here. Record crowds keep turning out for matches across the country, and World Rugby officials see the application process as part of their plan to grow the sport in the U.S., building fan bases in cities that could become rugby strongholds.
This bid marks yet another push by local organizers to land big sporting events. Charlotte hosted the PGA Championship not long ago and will host the MLS All-Star Game in summer 2026.
