The Rugby Weekend in Chicago: Eagles v Maori All Blacks, All-Blacks v Ireland

CHICAGO Aug. 5, 2016 – USA Rugby and TLA Worldwide today announced the starting times for “The Rugby Weekend Presented by AIG” Nov. 4 and 5 in Chicago. The USA Men’s Eagles will open the weekend against the New Zealand Maori All Blacks Friday at 7 p.m. CT under the lights of the 18,000-seat Toyota Park before the two-time defending Rugby World Cup Champions New Zealand All Blacks take on world No. 6 Ireland Saturday, Nov. 5, in a 3 p.m. CT afternoon kickoff at the 62,000-capacity Soldier Field.

The entrance gates at Soldier Field will open two hours prior to kickoff Saturday. Fans are encouraged to arrive at the venue early to witness the world-famous New Zealand All Blacks Haka, a traditional war cry performed by the entire All Blacks squad before each match.

“The anticipation for these matches grows with each passing week and we are pleased to announce the start times for both matches, which will allow fans to make firm plans for a great Rugby Weekend. There are limited tickets available for both games and now that kickoff times have been confirmed, we expect the few tickets left to move briskly,” said Mike Principe, CEO of TLA Worldwide.

Tickets for the doubleheader are on sale via Ticketmaster from $22 (Friday) and $33 (Saturday), and less than 25 percent remain available for purchase. In addition to the tickets remaining, select premier sideline seats for the Friday matchup at Toyota Park are now available to the general public. Those seats can also be purchased via Ticketmaster.

Visit The Rugby Weekend website

“‘The Rugby Weekend Presented by AIG’ is the latest in a line of historic rugby events set for American venues, building on the membership growth seen by USA Rugby and the momentum from Rio 2016,” USA Rugby Chief Executive Officer Dan Payne said. “We’re excited to be welcomed back to the great city of Chicago – which has a thriving youth culture in Rugby Illinois and clubs that have reached domestic National Championships – and want to showcase the country’s appetite for high-level rugby to the world. With the Eagles’ match in primetime and an early start to ‘Saturday is a Rugby Day,’ we’re expecting two sell-outs in what will be an enormously historic weekend of rugby in Chicago.”

The last time the All Blacks took to the pitch in the United States, a record crowd of 61,500 filled Soldier Field Nov. 1, 2014, in what was unquestionably the most highly attended single rugby event in the history of the United States. This will mark just the fourth time since the team’s inception that the All Blacks will play in America and the latest since it became the first international rugby team to repeat as World Cup Champion in October 2015.

The Irish Rugby Football Union is ranked No. 6 in the World Rankings. The team has won the 6 Nations Championship 13 times, including the most recent in 2015.

The Maori All Blacks, an elite side from New Zealand featuring players with Maori ‘whakapa,’ or genealogy, are returning to the U.S. for the first time since 2013, when they played before a sell-out crowd in Philadelphia. Newly rehired Head Coach Colin Cooper will lead the team in America once again, with the intent of developing full All Blacks as well as respecting the culture of the team’s native roots.

“Maori rugby is already so rich in history, and is an important part of New Zealand Rugby history,” Cooper said at the announcement of his hire earlier this month. “But I also think the Maori All Blacks team is really finding its place in the High Performance arena as we have seen from the selection of players into the All Blacks.”

In addition to presenting sponsor AIG, which has sponsored international tests at Soldier Field each of the past two years and brought the Maori All Blacks to the U.S. in 2013, Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma, whose headquarters for the Americas is located just outside of Chicago, has signed on as Official Healthcare Partner for the event for the third year in a row. Citi has also been confirmed as a sponsor of the Weekend.

Along with the weekend partners, Guinness and McDonald’s are sponsoring the New Zealand v. Ireland match, and USA Rugby Union lead sponsor Emirates will be an official sponsor of USA v. Maori All Blacks.

Accompanying the matches, USA Rugby Trust will be hosting its Chicago Gala Thursday, Nov. 3. For those interested in supporting rugby in the United States and spending a once-in-a-lifetime evening with members of the elite rugby community, plates at USA Rugby Trust’s Chicago Gala at Macy’s on State Street start at $250 per person. Featuring a panel discussion with former international players, the Gala will include dinner, a silent and live auction, and a VIP cocktail reception. All funds raised from the Chicago Gala will benefit USA Rugby Trust, furthering its mission to support, promote, develop, and grow the sport of rugby at all levels in the United States by providing financial support to USA Rugby. More information on the Chicago Gala can be found on the USA Rugby website. Potential sponsorship inquiries can be directed to Event and Donor Relations Manager Jessica Welsh (jwelsh@usarugby.org).

Additional details for the matches, including broadcast partners, will be announced in the coming weeks.

About USA Rugby
Established in 1975, USA Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby in America and a Full Sport Member of the United States Olympic Committee. Currently headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, USA Rugby is charged with developing the game on all levels and has more than 125,000 active members, with more than 32,000 playing collegiate rugby and 27,000 playing senior club rugby. USA Rugby oversees four national teams, multiple collegiate and high school All-American sides, and an emerging Olympic development pathway for elite athletes. It also hosts more than 30 national playoff and championship events each year as a service to its members. In October 2009, the International Olympic Committee announced Rugby Sevens (the seven-a-side version of the game) will appear in the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro. Visit www.usarugby.org for more information.

About AIG
American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. Founded in 1919, today we provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement products, mortgage insurance and other financial services to customers in more than 100 countries and jurisdictions. Our diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Additional information about AIG can be found at www.aig.com and www.aig.com/strategyupdate | YouTube: www.youtube.com/aig | Twitter: @AIGinsurance | LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/aig. These references with additional information about AIG have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference into this press release.

AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement, and general insurance operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.aig.com. All products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Products or services may not be available in all countries, and coverage is subject to actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain property-casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds, and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds.

About TLA Worldwide
TLA Worldwide plc (TLA:LN) and its subsidiary, The Legacy Agency, Inc., is a leading athlete representation and sports marketing business with a full service offering to its clients in baseball, broadcasting, coaching, endorsement and golf talent. In addition, it also provides a range of services in respect of media and corporate consultancy, sports sponsorship and event production to many sportspeople and corporate clients. The company’s success and growth potential is founded on three key pillars: the competency of the underlying businesses, their complementary practices and the strength and experience of the management team. With over 55 full-time personnel, TLA serves its clients from 10 locations worldwide including its principal offices in London, UK; New York and Newport Beach, USA; and Melbourne, Australia. For more information, please visit www.legacy-agency.com.

Media inquiries can be directed to media@usarugby.org.

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