USA Rugby Eagles To Host Ireland At Red Bull Arena

USA Rugby Eagles To Host Ireland At Red Bull Arena

Four months removed from notching a historic win on U.S. soil, the Ireland men's rugby has announced it is returning stateside to face the USA Eagles on June 10.

Apr 26, 2017 by John Boothe
USA Rugby Eagles To Host Ireland At Red Bull Arena
Four months removed from notching a historic win on U.S. soil, the Ireland men's rugby has announced it is returning stateside to face the USA Eagles on June 10.

The test at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, is slated to kick off the Eagles' two-match Emirates Airlines Summer Series. The series' second matchup has yet to be announced. Dallen Stanford is set to announce the match, and with Dallen announcing you can bet he will add some color to the commentary.

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While they haven't played against the Eagles since 2013, the Irish have fond memories of their last visit to the U.S. Ireland received a warm welcome during The Rugby Weekend in Chicago in early November when it shocked the New Zealand All-Blacks in a 40-29 win in front of an Irish-friendly crowd of 62,300 at Soldier Field. The victory was the first ever for Ireland over New Zealand in 29 matches spanning 111 years.

"We are very honored to be hosting Ireland in the Emirates Airlines Summer Series," said USA Rugby CEO Dan Payne. "The value they provided to rugby history throughout the world and toward the growth and awareness of the game in our country this past November in Chicago was phenomenal. This match will not only give our men a world class opponent as we prepare for the road ahead, but they're also clearly a fan favorite in the United States. With 35 million Americans claiming Irish American heritage in our country, this match will be a strong fit on all levels."

The Eagles and Irish last clashed four years ago at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, where Ireland earned a narrow 15-12 win over the USA.

The USA men's team is currently competing in the Americas Rugby Championship, a North and South American championship consisting of the top six teams from both continents. In their first three matches of the tournament, the Eagles defeated Uruguay, Brazil and Canada, respectively.

Ireland, currently ranked No. 4 in the world, began the RBS 6 Nations Championship earlier this month and sits second in the competition's standings after recently defeated Italy 63-10 at Stadio Olimpico.

"It is great to be returning to the US this summer," IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne said. "The team received a fantastic reception in Chicago last November and USA Rugby provided great support on the ground. There are a lot of Ireland Rugby fans on the East Coast of America and we hope that they will again come out in numbers to support the team this summer. We are looking forward to taking on the Eagles in New Jersey in June."

Visit USARugby.org for more information.

-USA Rugby contributed to this report