14 May 2014

All Blacks confirm Chicago match

9:47 am on 14 May 2014

New Zealand rugby has officially confirmed that the All Blacks will play the United States Eagles in an historic one-off Test match in Chicago in November.

The match, scheduled for Saturday, November the 2nd (NZ time), will be the first between the two sides on American soil since 1980 and just the third official Test in front of what is expected to be a record crowd for a rugby match in the United States.

The test will be played at the 61,000 seat Soldier Field, home of American NFL side the Chicago Bears.

It will be the first rugby match ever played at the venue.

New Zealand last played the Americans at the 1991 Rugby World Cup in England and played an exhibition match in San Diego, California, in 1980.

The teams also played each other 101 years ago in Berkeley, California.