New Zealand All-Blacks at Soldier Field

USA Rugby will hold a joint press conference with the New Zealand Rugby Union on May 13th.   It is widely rumored that they will announce a major international rugby test match between the USA and the New Zealand men's national team, commonly called "The All-Blacks"

The match will reportedly be held at Soldier Field in Chicago on November 1st, 2014.   Soldier Field holds 61,500 spectators.  To all the Packer fans here, it's a familiar place as the home of our old rivals, The Chicago Bears.

The combination of a beautiful fall day, the legendary atmosphere of Chicago's football stadium, and the #1 ranked team in the world, with their inspiring attacking rugby, could be a landmark event for rugby in America.

The WGR offices are already abuzz with plans to fill a few busses of coaches, players, parents, and supporters.

A note on Soldier Field, from www.soldierfield.net

"It was known as one of the great venues during the "Golden Age of Sports" and one of Chicago's most famous landmarks. Crowds in excess of 100,000 were commonplace, marked by several memorable events including the 1926 Army-Navy game and the epic 1927 Jack Dempsey/Gene Tunney heavyweight rematch featuring the controversial "long count".

In 1944, 150,000 spectators attended a wartime visit by President Franklin Roosevelt and thousands turned out to hear evangelist Billy Graham in 1962.

Soldier Field is also the birthplace of the first Special Olympic Games in 1968. College and Professional football, rock concerts, festivals, rodeos, stock-car races, and even a skiing/toboggan event have called Soldier Field home.