HARRISON, N.J. (October 27, 2015) - The Legacy Agency ("TLA"), one of the world's leading athlete representation, sports and entertainment marketing businesses, today announced that London Irish will meet Saracens in a regular season Aviva Premiership match at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey on Saturday, March 12, 2016. It will be the first time these two storied clubs will face off in the United States.
"We continue to see how quickly rugby, one of the world's biggest sports, is growing here in the United States and we are proud to be able to work with the Premiership, London Irish and Saracens and, of course, USA Rugby, for this historic matchup at Red Bull Arena," TLA CEO Mike Principe said.
"We're thrilled to welcome Premiership Rugby to Red Bull Arena, and to offer our fans the opportunity to see a competitive, regular season match between two storied clubs," said Marc de Grandpre, General Manager of the New York Red Bulls.
Taking place just before St. Patrick's Day, this ground-breaking announcement is ultimately a milestone in the development of London Irish and of the League which underlines the growing international interest in Aviva Premiership Rugby and showcases it in the biggest sports market in the world where rugby is currently the fastest growing team sport.
Mark McCafferty, Premiership Rugby's Chief Executive said: "This is a significant day in the history of Premiership Rugby and one that has taken a number of years and a lot of hard work to bring to fruition. Premiership Rugby is the most competitive league in world rugby with a fast-growing following outside England and we are delighted to stage a competitive match in the USA. There are ambitious plans to grow the game in the States and this is the latest stage in that strategy. I'd like to thank both London Irish for their support and vision in making this bold step as well as Saracens and our partners The Legacy Agency Inc and USA Rugby. We firmly believe this will be a great success and will showcase live Aviva Premiership Rugby to a new audience."
"We are looking forward to bringing these two world class clubs to the New York area for what will be a memorable matchup," said USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville, who will be advising on the match. "Our sport continues to grow in the United States, and we believe this event will be another big step forward in the growth of the game."
London Irish boasts one of the largest global followings of any rugby club in the UK. Established in 1898, London Irish became a founding member of Aviva Premiership Rugby in 1996 and have played in England's top division ever since. They finished as runners-up in 2008-09. Their opponent, Saracens, was founded in 1876, and is one of the longest-running sports clubs in the world. An original member of Premiership Rugby, they have won the title in 2010-11 and 2014-15 and are the current holders of the LV=Cup.
TLA has been at the forefront of rugby's growth in the US, serving as the promoter for a sold out New Zealand All Blacks vs the USA Eagles match at Chicago's Soldier Field in 2014, among other roles it has assumed to assist in the game's recent expanded position in the sports landscape.
Tickets go on sale Friday, October 30th. New York Red Bulls Season Ticket Holders will be offered an exclusive presale window beginning Thursday, October 29 at 10 a.m.
For more information on the match visit www.LondonIrishUSA.com.
About TLA Worldwide:
TLA Worldwide is a leading athlete representation, event management and sports marketing group quoted on London's AIM. The Group derives revenues from long term agency relationships with many prominent US and international sports stars, broadcasters and media personalities associated with major sports including the MLB, NFL, NBA, PGA TOUR, AFL and Olympians and Cricketers. In addition, it also provides a range of services in respect of media consultancy, sports sponsorship and event creation and ownership, including the International Champions Cup tournament in Australia. With over 140 full-time personnel, TLA Worldwide serves its clients from 10 locations worldwide including its offices in London, UK; New York, Houston and Newport Beach, USA; and Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. For more information, please visit www.tlaww-plc.com
