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No plans for Ireland Six Nations game in US - IRFU

Rugby's governing bodies in Ireland and Italy have rejected the prospect of staging a Six Nations encounter across the Atlantic, responding to comments from World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin. In interviews with The Times and the Daily Telegraph, Gilpin proposed that staging a clash such as Ireland against Italy in metropolitan hubs like New York or Boston would tap into sizable diaspora communities and provide a major commercial boost ahead of the men's and women's World Cups scheduled for 2031 and 2033.

Gilpin pledged administrative backing for any union open to relocating a tournament fixture, acknowledging that while domestic supporters might object to losing a home game, the initiative would reward overseas fanbases.

Both unions swiftly clarified that no negotiations or intentions exist to export tournament matches to America. While the Irish Rugby Football Union recognised the territory's value for revenue and audience expansion, it underscored the necessity of preserving traditional home fixtures for loyal followers.

Representatives for the Italian Rugby Federation, which stages fixtures at the 70,000-capacity Stadio Olimpico in Rome, echoed that stance. The Italian body noted its previous American venture against Ireland in Chicago in 2018 alongside marquee clashes like South Africa versus New Zealand, but insisted that shifting an official Six Nations test to the US is not under consideration.