The United States’ hosting of the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup has gained significant momentum as individual candidate regions officially transition from initial intent to formal proposals. Highlighting this progression, two confirmed bids have come in this past week from the state of Missouri, positioning the state as a potential double-host anchor for the global tournament.
World Rugby will evaluate these incoming submissions over the final months of 2026, providing critical feedback to the 27 applicant markets before final proposals are due in January and the announcement of venues is made in February.
Photo: USA Rugby
TWO MISSOURI BIDS MADE
The St. Louis Sports Commission officially submitted its comprehensive host city bid on September 28, 2026, aiming to bring the world’s third-largest sporting event to eastern Missouri. Under this proposal, the region’s matches would be staged at The Dome at America’s Center during the prime tournament window of September and October 2031.
Local organizers are leveraging the venue’s proven infrastructure and accessibility, viewing the multi-week tournament as a prime opportunity to replicate the immense economic and cultural benefits seen during recent major North American sporting events.
On the western side of the state, the Kansas City Sports Commission confirmed the submission of its own formal tournament bid on September 30, 2026. Organizers plan to utilize Arrowhead Stadium, building directly on the city’s experience hosting high-profile soccer matches.
Local rugby advocates point out that the expiration of the Kansas City Chiefs’ current stadium lease in January 2031 gives the city a unique scheduling advantage. This factor, combined with established regional rugby clubs and having previously hosted international test matches, forms the backbone of Kansas City’s case to World Rugby and USA Rugby officials.
CITIES / REGIONS SEEKING TO HOST RUGBY WORLD CUP 2031
The Eastern bidders represent a highly dense and populated corridor that stretches from the Northeast down through the American South and Florida. This group features the largest media market in the entire field, New York / New Jersey, closely supported by historic, sports-crazed Northeast hubs like Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and the capital region of Washington, D.C.
Pushing into the industrial heartland and Ohio River Valley, cities like Pittsburgh and Cincinnati add robust infrastructure to the mix. Further south, the bid gains massive cultural and economic weight from booming metropolitan regions including Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Birmingham, and New Orleans, before concluding with the internationally minded tourism powerhouses of Miami and Orlando in Florida.
The Western bidders showcase an expansive lineup of massive sports markets spanning the West Coast, Mountain West, and Texas. The Pacific coast is anchoring its bid with heavy hitters like the sprawling Los Angeles Region, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, and the soccer-and-rugby-mad hub of Seattle, while also extending north across the border to include Vancouver, Canada.
Moving inland, the Mountain West is represented by fast-growing major centers like Denver, Salt Lake City, and the Phoenix metro area (Arizona). The massive state of Texas is holding down the southern reach of this western contingent with Houston, alongside critical midwestern and plains markets like Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, and St. Louis that help bridge the geographic gap toward the center of the continent.
City / Region
State / Province
Approximate Metropolitan Population
Professional Rugby (MLR / PRO Rugby)
Phoenix
Arizona
5.0 Million
None
Atlanta
Georgia
6.3 Million
Rugby ATL (Former MLR)
Baltimore
Maryland
2.8 Million
None
Birmingham
Alabama
1.1 Million
None
Boston
Massachusetts
4.9 Million
New England Free Jacks (Active MLR)
Charlotte
North Carolina
2.8 Million
Anthem Rugby Carolina (Active MLR)
Chicago
Illinois
9.3 Million
Chicago Hounds (Active MLR)
Cincinnati
Ohio
2.3 Million
None
Denver
Colorado
3.0 Million
Colorado Raptors (Former MLR) / Denver Stampede (Former PRO Rugby)
Houston
Texas
7.5 Million
Houston SaberCats (Former MLR)
Kansas City
Missouri
2.2 Million
None
Los Angeles Region
California
12.8 Million
Rugby FC Los Angeles & LA Giltinis (Former MLR)
Miami
Florida
6.1 Million
Miami Sharks (Former MLR)
Minneapolis
Minnesota
3.6 Million
None
Nashville
Tennessee
2.1 Million
None
New Orleans
Louisiana
1.0 Million
NOLA Gold (Former MLR)
New York / New Jersey
NY / NJ
19.5 Million
Rugby New York Ironworkers (Former MLR)
Orlando
Florida
2.8 Million
None
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
6.2 Million
None
Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
2.4 Million
None
Salt Lake City
Utah
1.3 Million
Utah Warriors (Former MLR)
San Diego
California
3.3 Million
California Legion (Active MLR, formerly San Diego Legion) / San Diego Breakers (Former PRO Rugby)
San Francisco Bay Area
California
4.6 Million
San Francisco Rush (Former PRO Rugby)
Seattle
Washington
4.0 Million
Seattle Seawolves (Active MLR)
St. Louis
Missouri
2.8 Million
None
Vancouver
British Columbia (Canada)
2.6 Million
None (Independent Vancouver Highlanders club operates here)
Washington, D.C.
District of Columbia
6.3 Million
Old Glory DC (Active MLR)
* Population values represent standard Metropolitan Statistical Area estimates to give a sense of market size.