Special reporting by Beth Werge and Alex Keshishian

CHICAGO - It appears as if the USA v a Tier I nation will be an annual event now that Australia has confirmed a match with the USA for September 5 in Chicago.

The announcement on Tuesday, May 12 confirmed that the Wallabies will face the Eagles at Soldier Field, with the sincere hope by all concerned that they will replicate success of the USA v New Zealand game November 1, 2014. That game was a sellout, everyone’s hoping the same for September.

In addition, though, this game will be part of the Rugby World Cup buildup for both teams, and in fact the Wallabies will spend a good part of their World Cup preparation in the Chicago area.

UA Rugby CEO heaped praise on the city of Chicago “not just because of the warmth and the friendliness, but just the stunning city - the architecture … and just that great vibe that goes on in Chicago.”

Melvile said USA Rugby desperately wanted to come back to Chicago, and certainly it seems like the City as an organization was heavily behind the event.

“This game brings a great opportunity,” said Kara Bachman, Executive Director of the Chicago Sports Commission, noting that it’s good for Chicago if the city wants to position itself as a destination for international sports fans and travelers. “We had a tremendous experience hosting [the 2014 game]. There was tons of excitement, packed stadium, packed streets, tons of ancillary events.”

Events like this are only going to work if it works for local commerce.

“Restaurants were packed, hotels were filled,” said Bachman. “We set a record with leisure occupancy in our hotels in the last week of October. So businesses were very happy.”

Chicago, added Australia Rugby Union Head of Business Development Rob Clarke, “is one of the world’s great cities. And I know the team is absolutely going to love their experience here.”

This is a business deal in many ways, and for the Wallabies it’s about getting a game in, preparing for the World Cup, getting a nice payday, and expanding their brand.

“The Australian rugby brand is fairly well-known in most major rugby markets; that said, we haven’t had a large presence in the US,” added Clarke. “Chicago has a strong ex-pat scene, so we anticipate a lot of ex-pats coming out.”

The enthusiasm shown by the ARU implies that maybe more major teams (South Africa, the British & Irish Lions) might want to stop in the USA once in a while.

Video interviews and comments from Melville, Clarke, Backman, and Jim Robinson, president of Astellas Pharma US, and sponsor of the game. 

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