The Americas Rugby Championship 2018 kicks off this weekend with Rugby World Cup 2019 qualification and potential top 20 positions in the World Rugby Rankings all adding to the excitement.
The opening match between Canada and Uruguay in Vancouver on Saturday could not be bigger. The match, which kicks off at 17:10 local time (GMT -8), doubles as the first leg of the region’s final Rugby World Cup 2019 qualifier, with the winner on aggregate booking their place as Americas 2 in Pool D alongside Australia, Wales, Georgia and Fiji.
In its third year, the Americas Rugby Championship is set to be even bigger and better with Chile and Brazil afforded a superb opportunity to pit themselves against Rugby World Cup calibre opposition in Canada, Uruguay and USA as well as an Argentina XV.
The Championship continually proves to be among the most exciting on the planet, with big crowds, outstanding rugby and some memorable matches, including Brazil’s dramatic victories over USA in 2016 and Canada last year on the same weekend as the Eagles’ title-clinching draw against Argentina XV.
As the premier competition for North and South America, it also provides a pivotal role in delivering a high-quality competition schedule for participating unions and important Rugby World Cup 2019 preparation.
The 2018 edition of the Americas Rugby Championship promises to be the best yet with Rugby Americas, Sudamérica Rugby, Rugby Americas North and World Rugby teaming-up to bring fans closer to the action throughout.
That commitment includes the biggest-ever offering of content with fans having access to behind-the-scenes videos, statistics and rich social content.
World Rugby Vice-Chairman and Rugby Americas President Agustín Pichot said: “The Americas Rugby Championship is the premier annual international rugby event in the Americas, growing in popularity and prestige with each edition.
“The ARC is a high-quality, exciting and important competition for the Americas, combining with the Americas Pacific Challenge, to deliver a proven high-performance competition pathway for participating teams, while delivering regular access to outstanding rugby for fans across the continent.
“These are important and exciting times for rugby in the Americas and in August we will be launching the new second tier Americas Rugby Challenge, ensuring a strong, meaningful and competitive annual competition pathway for North and South American unions.”
For further information on the Americas Rugby Championship, visit www.worldrugby.org/arc2018.
Source: www.worldrugby.org
