Rugby Weekend Ultimate Fan Presale starts Monday, April 4

Please Share.

For Immediate Release
Submitted by USA Rugby
April 3, 2016

CHICAGO – It was today announced the beginning of a special Ultimate Fan Presale for the “Rugby Weekend presented by AIG“ created for the avid rugby supporter. Ticket buyers will have an opportunity to purchase tickets for both the USA Men’s Eagles’ match against New Zealand Maori All Blacks Friday, Nov. 4, at Toyota Park and the international test between the New Zealand All Blacks and Ireland Saturday, Nov. 5, at Soldier Field in Chicago. American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is the official presenting sponsor of the weekend.

The exclusive “Rugby Weekend presented by AIG” Ultimate Fan Presale will open to supporters from 10 a.m. CT to 11:59 p.m. CT Monday, April 4. By using the code “RUGBYWEEKEND,” fans will be able to purchase tickets for the Friday match between the United States national team and the representative side of New Zealand via TicketMaster. Fans may purchase a maximum of four tickets per transaction from select inventory available for the 20,000-seat Toyota Park.

Fans purchasing tickets to the Eagles’ match at Toyota Park will then receive a unique promotional code via email Tuesday, April 5. Purchasers will then be able to use that code to access pre-sale tickets for the Soldier Field matchup Wednesday, April 6, only from 10 a.m. CT to 11:59 p.m. CT. Fans may only purchase as many tickets for the Soldier Field event as they did for the Toyota Park event (i.e. one ticket purchased for the Friday match allows for one ticket to be purchased for the Saturday match).

The last time the All Blacks took to the pitch in the United States, a record crowd of more than 61,500 spectators filled Soldier Field Nov. 1, 2014, in what was the largest single rugby event in the U.S. “Rugby Weekend presented by AIG” will mark the fourth time since the All Blacks’ inception that the back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions will play in America.

An elite representative side from New Zealand, the Maori All Blacks are the Eagles’ “Rugby Weekend presented by AIG” opponents, recreating the 2013 matchup that saw the team from the southern hemisphere travel to Philadelphia for a sold-out match in front of 18,500 people. A prerequisite for playing for the Maori All Blacks is the presence of Maori “whakapapa,” or genealogy, with the likes of capped All Blacks Christian Cullen and Liam Messam having played for the side.

To apply for media credentials to one or both match days of “Rugby Weekend presented by AIG,” visit TheRugbyWeekend.com.

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 100,000 active members, with more than 35,000 playing collegiate rugby and 35,000 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.