Premiership Rugby is set to announce the US insurance giant Arthur J Gallagher & Co as its new title sponsor, succeeding Aviva in a move that could see English club rugby’s regular US fixture played in Chicago.
That game is set to be played on 6 April 2019 and, three US sources said, will likely be between Harlequins and Sale. The Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, outside New York City, is also a possible host.
UK insurer Aviva has sponsored the Premiership since 2010 and signed a one-year renewal last August. The US sources said Gallagher will succeed it. The firm has a large UK operation and a partnership with Wasps and has worked with rugby league in Australia.
In a statement, a Premiership Rugby spokesman said: “Premiership Rugby is at an advanced stage of confirming our title partner for the start of the 2018-19 season. We can’t comment on the names of any companies who are part of this process.”
It is not clear which club might be the “home” team in 2019. Harlequins have links in the US, with coaching operations in California and having invested in Rugby International Marketing, an offshoot of USA Rugby that will stage Wales v South Africa in Washington DC in June. A club source said the team’s participation in the 2019 fixture had not been confirmed.
The Premiership staged its first US game in March 2016. An official crowd of 14,811 watched London Irish, the “home” team at the Red Bull, lose 26-16 to Saracens.
In September 2017, a crowd of 6,271 watched Saracens win “away” again, 29-7 against Newcastle at another Major League Soccer venue, the Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, outside Philadelphia. Working with promoter AEG, Premiership Rugby increased grassroots outreach. A group of American players and coaches visited the UK in return last month.
The Newcastle-Saracens game was the first in a four-year deal with AEG. The 2019 fixture is again set for a Saturday, the day when US school, college and club rugby teams play competitive games. An April game would not clash with NFL or college football, another issue which may have affected attendance last time out.
Sources said Rugby United New York, a professional team due to enter Major League Rugby in 2019, is in negotiations to play a curtain-raising fixture if the Premiership game is at the Red Bull. That would raise issues regarding broadcast. The Premiership is shown in the US by NBC. MLR has deals with CBS and ESPN.
MLR will begin this month with teams in seven cities in the south and west. Ontario and Dallas are other teams looking to enter in year two – former Bath and England coach Mike Ford is attached to Dallas. Chicago was part of original MLR plans and may enter in future.
The Windy City is a hub for domestic and world airlines and has hosted international rugby, attracting 61,000 sellouts to Soldier Field, home of the NFL Chicago Bears, for USA v New Zealand in 2014 and Ireland v New Zealand in 2016. The US played Australia there in 2015. Ireland will reportedly return to play Italy next November.
A Premiership game would be at Toyota Park, the 28,000-capacity home of the Chicago Fire MLS team. The US Eagles played there in 2016, against the Maori All Blacks.
Gallagher will not be the first US insurance giant to sign a major rugby union deal. AIG, headquartered in Manhattan, has sponsored New Zealand national teams since 2012.
