Tennis executive Megan Rose to lead Rugby World Cup 2031 in the United States

World Rugby has gone outside rugby to find the person who will take the men's World Cup to American soil, naming former tennis professional Megan Rose as managing director of the 2031 tournament in the United States.

The 2031 event will be the first men's Rugby World Cup staged in the US, and Rose described the role in those terms.

"To be entrusted with bringing Men’s Rugby World Cup to the United States for the first time is an extraordinary honour," she said.

From the tennis court to the boardroom

Rose arrives from the United States Tennis Association (USTA), where she moved into administration after her playing career. There she ran major events including the US Open Series, the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup, and she was team leader for USA Olympic Tennis at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games. Her most recent work was helping to build and launch USTA Coaching, a new national coaching organisation, Rugby Australia reported.

Alan Gilpin backed the appointment. "Megan is an outstanding leader with a proven track record of delivering world-class sporting events and driving innovation," he said.

Cities and crowds

Twenty-five US cities are working through the applicant phase to stage Rugby World Cup 2031 matches.

About 68,000 fans went to Baltimore in September 2026 to see South Africa take on New Zealand in the final Test of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series. The Guardian called the crowd an attendance record for rugby union in the US.