(Rob Wagner photo)
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The event will be hosted by the Irish Cultural Centre of New England in Canton, Mass., on Friday, August 22 at 8pm EDT and broadcast live on ESPN Classic.
These two teams played each other last year in Chicago with Munster winning a hard fought match 10-6. This game again will prove to be a tough test for the US team as they face an experienced Munster outfit that features several members on the Ireland squad.
“It’s obviously exciting to have Munster, one of the best teams in Europe, coming back to the USA,” USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville said. “Building a relationship with a professional team of their caliber is great for USA Rugby.
“Munster was very keen to play in Boston, with its strong Irish heritage. New England is a great place for USA Rugby as well, as we have a large following in the Northeast and know everyone will get behind the arrival of both Munster and our Eagles in Boston.”
This will be the first national team match that USA Rugby has hosted in the Boston area in several years and event administrators are looking forward to a big turnout at an area with great Irish tradition and culture. This tradition and culture is most evident by the location of this event at the Irish Cultural Centre.
“As an Irish umbrella organization for Irish Heritage and Culture, we are honored to have been chosen by USA Rugby to host this match between these two great teams at our 48 acre campus in Canton,” said Irish Cultural Centre Executive Director Sean Grant.
“Even though it is just being officially announced, the Irish community is already very excited about the prospect of having a professional rugby match here in New England. The members of the Irish Cultural Centre and our home team the Boston Irish Wolfhounds are proud to showcase the great Irish tradition of rugby, represented by Munster Rugby. I know many will want to be present at this historic event.”
This event, which was also made possible by the help and cooperation from the local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), which has agreed to hold the match on their main field, represents the first time they will host a rugby event in the US and symbolizes a continuation of the partnership the GAA and rugby have formed in Ireland.
USA Rugby and the GAA have also planned a fan festival for the community that will take place throughout the weekend and will include the GAA semifinals.
“Munster is looking forward to this match as it represents the ideal type of preparation ahead of the new season and gives us the opportunity to expose our squad to quality opposition. It is always an honor to play against international competition and we are delighted to be traveling to Boston for this game,” said Munster head coach Declan Kidney.
This match will showcase the improvements that are being made with the Eagles program as they will have had a whole summer under the tutelage of new coach Scott Johnson. Johnson is an experienced player and coach who is renowned for his in-depth rugby mind. He has worked with the world’s top players and will bring enormous enthusiasm to his role and this match in particular.
“It’s important to note that this match is not just about the teams showing up and playing the game, it’s about the opportunities this match presents to develop the game of rugby on a whole,” Melville added. “With coach, referee and youth development opportunities, USA Rugby is looking forward to developing this into a legacy event. We are about furthering the growth of the game and a fixture like this can only help build upon our momentum forward.”
Tickets for this match will be available through Ticketmaster starting May 30.