IRB Rugby World Cup
Leicester to play historic match in Philadelphia
Tom Hamilton
April 14, 2015
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field© Photo by Evan Habeeb/Getty Images

The Leicester Tigers will play a trailblazing match in Philadelphia in August.

The Tigers will face the newly formed Rough Riders in what will be the first professional rugby match to take place in the United States. The match will be held at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field in a game dubbed the 'Independence Cup' fixture on August 8.

The match at the 69,000-capacity stadium will signal the start of America's new professional league the NRFL - National Rugby Football League. The Rough Riders will include some Eagles and players from club level, NFL and college football.

"We are excited to showcase the inaugural Independence Cup at Lincoln Financial Field," said Eagles president Don Smolenski. "This match kicks off the first rugby game for an elite US team, the Rough Riders, against a historic rugby stalwart, the Leicester Tigers."

Tigers CEO Simon Cohen added: "The name of Leicester Tigers travels across the world and we.re delighted to have been invited to witness the appetite for the game in the USA first-hand. Rugby is making massive strides in America and the fixture against a team from the National Rugby Football League clubs will provide an excellent platform both for the home-based players and also our squad as they prepare for a new season.

"Sporting facilities and the pool of talent in so many sports in the USA are the envy of organizations across the world and it should prove a very interesting trip for the club."

© Tom Hamilton

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