The British & Irish Lions are weighing up playing a match in the United States as part of their 2029 tour of New Zealand, a source has confirmed to ESPN.
The Lions could play in Las Vegas, while Chicago and Los Angeles are also under consideration. The tourists would not face the All Blacks but could play the United States men’s national team or the Maori All Blacks as a warm-up match before arriving in New Zealand.
The plans are in the early stages, but a source has told ESPN there is eagerness from all parties to make this a reality with the U.S. staging the 2031 men’s Rugby World Cup.
The All Blacks have played in the U.S. before, with New Zealand’s men’s team playing Fiji in San Diego in July. The matches provide a welcome boost to commercial revenue. But for the Lions, it would be the first time the famous touring side would make a trip to the U.S.
The tourists do favour a warm-up match enroute to wherever they’re touring. In 2013, they faced the Barbarians in Hong Kong. In 2005, they played Argentina in Cardiff, and ahead of the 2021 Lions tour of South Africa, they played Japan at Murrayfield. Ahead of next year’s tour of Australia, they start off by facing Argentina in Dublin.
Las Vegas hasn’t hosted a large-scale rugby union match before, but the city has hosted rugby league. In March this year, the NRL took two matches to Vegas and the Allegiant Stadium. The NRL will return to Las Vegas again next year, while a Super League match between Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves will also take place there.
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