International rugby will return to Soldier Field in Chicago on 5 September, when the US Eagles face Australia in a World Cup warm-up game.
The Eagles faced New Zealand at the home of the Chicago Bears last November, losing 74-6 in front of a capacity 61,500 crowd. USA Rugby announced the game against the Wallabies at Soldier Field on Tuesday.
“We are excited to be returning to Chicago for this important match which will be a final Rugby World Cup send-off game for both teams,” said Nigel Melville, chairman and chief executive of USA Rugby.
Chicago’s recently re-elected mayor, former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, added: “We are pleased to again welcome the Eagles back to Chicago for another match this fall. Chicago is a great sports town with a stellar record of hosting premiere sporting events.”
The game against the Wallabies has been mooted for some time and according to Australian reports could pay the cash-strapped Australian Rugby Union $1m. It will also offer valuable US media exposure: the Eagles-All Blacks game was broadcast live by NBC and attracted an average audience of more than 900,000.
Name-checking his team’s title sponsor, ARU chief executive Bill Pulver said: “The opportunity to bring the Qantas Wallabies to a new market in the United States is a major boost for our code in Australia.”
The World Cup kicks off in England on 18 September. Before their first match – against Samoa in Brighton on 20 September – the Eagles will also play the English club Harlequins at PPL Park in Philadelphia on 30 August. Their summer international schedule features games against Samoa and Japan, another World Cup opponent, in San Jose and Sacramento on 18 and 24 July; Tonga in Toronto on 29 July; and a final Pacific Nations Cup play-off game in Vancouver on 3 August.
Australia are one of the powers of the game, with World Cup wins in 1991 and 1999. Recently, however, they dropped to a record low of sixth in the world rankings. The US are ranked 16th. Last month, the ARU, which has lost a number of top players to European club rugby, announced an A$6.3m loss for 2014.
Eagles coach Mike Tolkin acknowledged the challenge facing his team.
“Having the Wallabies come into Chicago is fantastic opportunity, but a huge challenge,” he said. “As one of the top teams in the world, Australia will present the Eagles with an immense degree of pressure and difficulty. This will be a perfect test leading up to the World Cup”
The Eagles have faced the Wallabies eight times, losing each time – the first by 12-8 at Berkeley in 1912 and the most recent by 67-5 in Wellington at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand. In October 1993, in a game for which Australia did not award caps, the Eagles closed to a 26-22 defeat in Riverside, California.
“The lead-up and match will be critical for our World Cup preparations,” said Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika on Tuesday. “We’re very fortunate we get a chance to face a quality side like the Eagles.
“Although we haven’t met on many occasions, there’s a rich history between our two nations … we know it will be a spirited encounter for that very reason.”
Australia’s first 2015 World Cup match is against Fiji in Cardiff on 23 September. The Wallabies are drawn in the tournament’s “pool of death”, with two higher-ranked sides, Wales and hosts and 2003 champions England. Only two teams from each pool progress to the quarter-finals.
In seeking to follow its successful staging of the All Blacks game in Chicago, USA Rugby has also bid to host the British and Irish Lions on their way to New Zealand in 2017.
