South Africa and NZ rugby captains see record crowd as a 2031 US World Cup 'appetizer'

South Africa and New Zealand captains Codie Taylor and Siya Kolisi used a high-profile Rugby “Greatest Rivalry” Test in Baltimore as a possible springboard for the 2031 Rugby World Cup in the United States. The match drew 68,173 spectators at M&T Bank Stadium, the largest rugby international crowd in the U.S. Taylor and Kolisi said expanding American access to the sport is key ahead of the five-year-ahead tournament. Both also pointed to potential television coverage and the involvement of NFL teams—Kolisi suggested league franchises could invest in rugby clubs and give more players offseason opportunities to help grow the game.