Pacific Nations Cup Hosting a Big Step for USA
Pacific Nations Cup Hosting a Big Step for USA
The USA’s hosting of most of the Pacific Nations Cup is a big deal and will be an important step for the country in building toward the 2031 Rugby World Cup.
Salt Lake City isn’t the only location for games—Denver and Sacramento will host, as well—but it’s the home of the final championship games.
Overall, the PNC will hold games in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, Calgary, Alberta (USA vs Canada), Suva, Fiji, Sendai, Japan, and Rotorua, New Zealand.
Heart Health Park in Sacramento hosts one game, Japan vs USA, and Dick’s Sporting Goods in Denver hosts the two semifinals and the single 5th-6th playoff.
Salt Lake’s America First Field then hosts the 3rd/4th game and the final, both on September 20.
USA Rugby Outlines Hosting of Pacific Nations Cup
“September is a fantastic time of year in Utah,” said former Eagle Matt Jensen, who was an All American for BYU. “It's cooling off from the summer; it’s one of my favorite parts of the year.”
And Utah is a pretty good place to hold a rugby event.
“This event wouldn't be coming to Utah if Kimball [Kjar, Utah Warriors CEO] and his group had not already shown the success with the MLR; if Toulouse didn't play USA [almost] two years ago; if the events weren't coming here already to set in the groundwork,” said USA Rugby CEO Bill Goren. “This is now a major event rationing up the level of testing the boundaries of the stadium, the city, and the state to see what could possibly come in the future.”
There is a ton of logistical work to do, especially for Denver and Salt Lake, when multiple teams will be there to train and prepare as well as play. You need to hotels, you need the practice space, and you need the right venues.
“I think number one is having a pitch that is world-class,” said Goren. “So we know that the players are going to be safe and the game's going to have its integrity.”
Working with stadiums in the 20,000-seat range is smart for these events.
“We know that we can accommodate the fans that will have interest in coming and we can give them the right entertainment level,” Goren added. “So you get away from the pitch, then you start looking at: can you put on a great event? And that's what America does probably better than anyone in the world is put on amazing events where every fan feels like they had a once-in-a-lifetime experience, we could tell a story here.”
Jensen added that these games are a chance for the rugby community to really sell the game to their friends.
“Like anything with rugby, I just tell people all the time as soon as you watch one game, you're converted,” said Jensen. “It's just getting people out to see it witness it. To watch their first match everybody falls in love with it; it's a great sport it really brings together a lot of diverse backgrounds and communities.”
Is this a dress rehearsal for the 2031 World Cup? No, but it’s a rehearsal of some sort. This is how people associated with the game show they can host a large event, and how a fan base can get into understanding that there will be international rugby coming to their town on a regular basis.
