World Rugby sees $500 mln USA bids as 'essential' for growth

World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin sees a $500 million plan for the United States to host the 2031 men's and 2033 women's World Cups as essential for growing the sport globally.

The partnership plan with USA Rugby to host the events, including an expected letter of support next week from US President Joe Biden, will be considered at a May 12 meeting of the World Rugby Council.

"We're not talking to anybody else about 2031 and 2033. That doesn't mean it's a done deal," Gilpin told reporters in a Thursday conference call, noting, "The real hard work starts on the 13th of May."

Beyond staging the event, the plan would involve tapping new commercial revenue streams for partnerships and giving women's rugby a global boost.

"It's not just important, it's actually essential for our plans to keep rugby growing as a world sport," Gilpin said of staging US World Cups.

Jim Brown, chair of the USA Rugby bid group, said organizers are in talks with 28 cities and 31 possible stadiums as host venues.

"The forecasted expense is generally understood .. in the half billion-dollar mark," Brown said of the budget. "Plus or minus $100 million, it's about a half a billion-dollar project for us for both of them."

Such details as visas and security will be backed federally, Brown said, noting, "There is support at the White House for '31 and '33" and that a formal letter to World Rugby "should be delivered by next week delivering a full commitment by the government."

Gilpin said that profit goals for the men's Rugby World Cup, set for France in 2023 and expected to be staged in Australia in 2027, are "always more than we had the last one," Gilpin said, noting for France that, "We're at the circa $400 million mark for that now and we want to build