Rugby is having more than a moment. Next stop? The US and (not kidding) China
World rugby is having more than a bit of a moment.
The 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan is the ninth one and the first one to be held outside of the traditional heartland of rugby.

…half the civilised world is playing rugby… the game seems to be spreading…
Bruce Whitfield, The Money Show
It [rugby] is certainly on the up… We’ve seen some great, global ambassadors [for the Springboks] … We’ve seen that tweet that [NFL legend] Tom Brady sent out… Novak Djokovic sent out a note…
Dr Michael Goldman, Assistant Professor - Sport Management Program at the University of San Francisco
The wildly enthusiastic Japanese have proven to be excellent hosts and their rugby team has improved so much, some now consider them a “Tier 1” team such as the Springboks and other leading rugby nations.
The Money Show’s Bruce Whitfield interviewed Dr Michael Goldman (he has green blood in his veins), Assistant Professor in the Sport Management Program at the University of San Francisco.
Goldman discussed how the global brand of rugby - more racially and geographically inclusive than ever - is growing.
Listen to interview in the audio below (and scroll down for more quotes from it).
The entry into the US and China is going to be so important for world rugby… In China, a lot more schools are getting involved… the ability to compete with cricket and basketball globally for the number two and three positions behind soccer has got to be about Sevens and the US and China…
Dr Michael Goldman, Assistant Professor - Sport Management Program at the University of San Francisco
This rugby world cup hasn’t really delivered sterling performances, outside of the Japanese team…
Dr Michael Goldman, Assistant Professor - Sport Management Program at the University of San Francisco
I believe they do [when asked if the Springboks have the traction to be the unifying force they were in 1995] … Some of the issues we’ve seen… have dominated the headlines… but I am excited… in terms of the transformation of spectatorship…
Dr Michael Goldman, Assistant Professor - Sport Management Program at the University of San Francisco
The Springboks performance off the field with the Japanese fans… bodes really well for the brand…
Dr Michael Goldman, Assistant Professor - Sport Management Program at the University of San Francisco
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This article first appeared on 702 : Rugby is having more than a moment. Next stop? The US and (not kidding) China
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