Mon 4 Dec 2023 | 07:29

Former USA international offers insight into how to make the 2031 & 33 World Cups uniquely American

Former USA international Nate Brakeley ended his time in the Eagles jersey on a high as he led the team to a 42 - 12 victory over Spain in November.

The victory was a nice pick-up following the USA's heartbreaking failure to qualify for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

On the subject of World Cups, Brakeley was asked about the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups, which the USA are set to host.

Discussing the event, the former secondrow offered an interesting insight into what would capture the at times, elusive wider USA sports market.

“As you say, there's no shortage of massive stadiums to put this in.

“Whether we do this in a regional system and do pools by regions or however this ends up, there's going to be massive infrastructure in place to make these events succeed.

“I think that Americans love an event and so as much as you can make this an event where rugby is just part of the selling point, but there's this almost festival atmosphere.

“If you look at the way that basically Sevens approaches it, you don't even need to know what's happening on the field. It's exciting because it's large people running into each other, which is great.

“Let's make this an event where there happens to be rugby. And let's make this something that you want to go to because it's just going to be a blast regardless of what's going on, on the field or not, and I think, again, America is very good at that.

“If you look at the tailgating culture around college football, if you look at the crazy fandom that pops up around basically any sporting event, I think that that is a fairly uniquely American experience. And so, how do we tap into that and get those same crowds to just have enough curiosity to come to a match?

“Obviously, the international crowd is going to be here. The U.S. is obviously a fairly cheap spot to travel to just because of the size and the opportunities. So I have no concerns about that.

“But if they really want to make this an American event, we've got to tap into that American love of an event, of a barbecue, of a tailgate, and of yelling for the USA in whatever capacity.”

The 34-year-old's insight into what would capture American fan's attention was not only an interesting concept but also sounds like a fun prospect for international fans looking for the full USA experience.