THE AVIVA Premiership fixture between London Irish and Saracens will take place in the United States of America next year, a ground-breaking announcement revealed this morning.
Exiles and the reigning champions will lock horns at the 25,000-seater Red Bull Arena in New York on Saturday, March 12, in what will be the first fixture of its kind to take place across the Atlantic.
The round 16 clash is a home fixture for Tom Coventry’s men, and while occurring amid the St Patrick’s Day festivities taking place in the ‘Big Apple’, the club will use the game as a chance to celebrate Irish culture for the many thousands of first, second and third generation of Irish people residing in the city.
The announcement also represents a milestone in both the development of the Exiles and the league, as it underlines the growing international interest in Aviva Premiership Rugby and allows it to be showcased in arguably the biggest sports market in the world, where rugby is the faster-growing team competition.
“This is an enormous opportunity for London Irish and a chance for our club to gain exposure in one of the biggest sporting cities in the world,” said chief executive Bob Casey.
“The New York region has a significant Irish community and is renowned for its annual St.Patrick’s Day Parade, so it’s the perfect time for our club to venture into this market.
“Rugby is set for an exciting time with Rugby World Cup 2015 reaching its final stages, the inclusion of 7s in the 2016 Olympic Games and now the first-ever Aviva Premiership fixture in the USA.
“We are well placed to capitalise on these exceptional opportunities to create a lasting legacy for both rugby and London Irish.
“We intend to continue to be at the forefront of the development of the game in the USA.”
Tickets for the game will go on sale from 2pm this Friday (October 30) and will be available to buy through the Ticketmaster website.
Supporters, in the meantime, can register their interest in purchasing tickets by visiting www.londonirishusa.com
Mark McCafferty, Premiership Rugby chief executive, said: “This is a significant day in the history of Premiership Rugby and one that has taken a number of years and a lot of hard work to bring to fruition.
“Premiership Rugby is the most competitive league in world rugby with a fast-growing following outside England and we are delighted to stage a competitive match in the USA.
“There are ambitious plans to grow the game in the States and this is the latest stage in that strategy.
“I’d like to thank both London Irish for their support and vision in making this bold step as well as Saracens and our partners; The Legacy Inc and USA Rugby.
“We firmly believe this will be a great success and will showcase live Aviva Premiership Rugby to a new audience.”
Nigel Melville, the USA Rugby CEO who will be advising on the match, added: “We are looking forward to bringing these two world-class clubs to the New York area for what will be a memorable match up.
“Our sport continues to grow in the United States and we believe this event will be another big step forward in the growth of the game.”
London Irish are also exploring the idea of supporter travel packages which will combine flights, airport transfers, accommodation and access to player meet and greet events.
These will be available with and without match tickets.
Details are expected to be announced either on or before Monday, November 9.
Again, fans wanting to find out more are asked to register their interest before 5pm on Tuesday, November 3.
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