Lions, All Blacks to lock up in USA?

11/05/2024 05:40 AM

The British & Irish Lions are considering making history by staging their first match on American soil as part of the northern hemisphere outfit’s 2029 tour to New Zealand.

According to the UK’s Telegraph, Las Vegas, Chicago and Los Angeles are reportedly in contention to host a warm-up fixture before the three-Test series against the All Blacks, with the match potentially serving as a strategic stopover on the journey to the Land of the Long White Cloud.

The initiative aligns with rugby’s growing presence in the USA, which will host the 2031 Rugby World Cup. New Zealand has already pioneered Test rugby in the States, having played in Chicago and San Diego.

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“It would meet the Lions’ requirements from a performance point of view,” a source was quoted by Telegraph Sport. “There have been conversations around Vegas, Chicago and LA.

“We think there’s an opportunity to do something in another market on the way down to New Zealand.”

The Lions have traditionally played matches outside their main tour destination, with next year’s tour to Australia featuring a clash against Argentina in Dublin.

However, Telegraph Sport reports there are no plans to move full Lions tours away from the traditional host nations of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

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