The long-rumoured game between the US Eagles and the New Zealand All Blacks, the world champions who went undefeated through 14 Test matches in 2013, is set to take place at Soldier Field in Chicago on 1 November.

On Sunday a New Zealand newspaper, the Herald on Sunday, reported that “agreement is understood to have been reached that the All Blacks will play a Test in Chicago on 2 November”. The cited date, a Sunday, allows for New Zealand time, which is 17 hours ahead of US central time.

The report added: “The expectation is that a minimum 40,000 tickets will be sold, which should enable USA Rugby to make a sizeable profit after they have paid the New Zealand Rugby Union a guaranteed sum, believed to be $1m to cover their costs.”

The NZRU and USA Rugby are both sponsored by the insurance giant AIG, which has mounted a campaign to grow the All Blacks' US profile. Last month, the Showtime programme 60 Minutes Sports broadcast a special on the team.

Soldier Field, the home of the NFL's Chicago Bears, can hold 61,500 spectators. Last year, the Eagles lost 29-19 to the Maori All Blacks – New Zealand's de facto second team – in front of an 18,500 capacity crowd at PPL Park, the home of the Philadelphia Union MLS franchise. The Eagles' last two home summer Tests, defeats by Italy and Ireland at Houston Dynamo's BBVA Compass Stadium, attracted 17,241 and 20,181. They will play Scotland at the same venue in June.

The All Blacks-Eagles Test has been mooted since November 2013, when the NZRU chief executive Steve Tew told a New Zealand website, stuff.co.nz, the union was looking to expand on that month's trip to Tokyo.

“Japan was very successful,” Tew said. “We were very happy with that, and we will be looking for a similar game in North America this time next year.”

New Zealand beat Japan – who compete with the USA in the Pacific Nations Cup, beating the Eagles 38-20 last year – 54-6, and went on to beat France, England and Ireland. This year they will follow their trip to the US with Tests against England, Scotland and Wales.

The All Blacks management, led by head coach Steve Hansen, is reported to value games against “tier two” countries in terms of preparation for World Cups, in which weaker teams are played before knockout games against more established nations.

The Eagles last month qualified for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, after drawing 27-27 with Uruguay in Montevideo and winning 32-13 in the return game in Atlanta. The Eagles will play in Pool B, alongside South Africa, Scotland, Samoa and (in all likelihood) Japan.

New Zealand are drawn in Pool C, with Tonga, Georgia, an African qualifier and one of the weaker major nations, Argentina. The All Blacks will expect to face Ireland or France in the quarter-finals.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Scott Lavalla is tackled during the US Eagles' 32-13 Rugby World Cup qualifying victory over Uruguay in Atlanta last month. Photograph: Branden Camp/AP

In November, asked about the likely opposition for the planned US game, given its falling outside the official autumn Test window, Tew said: "It's likely to be against some sort of invitational side.”

On Sunday, the Herald said: “USA Rugby is moving towards agreement with relevant English Premiership clubs about player release.”

Given full access – which is by no means a given for 1 November, given the strict rules which govern player release for international rugby – the Eagles can field a number of players employed by top-flight clubs. New Zealand, however, are likely to be overwhelmingly stronger than even a full-strength US XV, not least in the crucial front row of the scrum.

Pondering what the NZRU's next step in the US might be, Herald rugby writer Gregor Paul said: “It's questionable, given the gulf in quality between the All Blacks and Eagles, whether another Test between the two would be a credible exercise.”

Chicago was not initially discussed as a venue for the game. In November, Tew said: “We're looking at some options … Our first preference is the east coast and to play somewhere close to New York, but we've got to find the appropriate stadium. It's got to be available that weekend, and it's got to be big enough.”



Like all NFL stadiums, Soldier Field has a playing surface that is too narrow for international rugby. The Herald said “some tinkering” would take place to “ensure it is wide enough to host the fixture”.

On Sunday, the Herald said a fixture against Ireland in New York or Boston remains on the NZRU's agenda, despite doubts about the commercial viability of playing Test matches at neutral venues instilled by the experience of taking Bledisloe Cup Tests against Australia to Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Showtime's 60 Minutes Sports considers the All Blacks.

In the US, meanwhile, Saturday and Sunday saw the first scouting combine staged under the auspices of the National Rugby Football League, an enterprise aiming to convert athletes from the major US sports into rugby players and to start a professional US rugby competition.



Two days of drills at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis were overseen by the former Ireland and Eagles coach Eddie O'Sullivan, attracting scouts from a number of European clubs.