Atlanta among 27 cities courting 2031 Rugby World Cup

• Atlanta also hosted the FIFA Club World Cup in June.

Driving the news: World Rugby, the sport's international governing body, has narrowed its field of cities under consideration to host the men's World Cup to 27 markets, down from 40 earlier this year.

• World Rugby leaders announced the contenders Friday at the United Rugby Summit in Chicago, where Ireland and New Zealand are set to face off in a sold-out test match Saturday night.

Zoom in: Other hopeful cities and regions include: Arizona, Baltimore, the Bay Area, Birmingham, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, the Los Angeles region, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis, Vancouver and Washington, D.C.

The intrigue: If Atlanta is selected as a host city, the 2031 rugby matches will be held the same year as the NCAA Men's Final Four.

What they're saying: Alan Gilpin, World Rugby's chief executive, said the 2031 tournament stands to "cement the U.S.'s status as a major player in global rugby" and "inspire and unite new fans, audiences and commercial partners for the sport."

• World Rugby officials say the application process is part of its U.S. growth plan, where it hopes to build audiences in "key rugby hubs."

Context: World Rugby held several international matches across the U.S. over the summer to test America's appetite for the sport.

• World Rugby met with interested hosts in July 2024. That was followed by detailed site visits with each, World Rugby chief communications officer Dominic Rumbles tells Axios.

What's next: World Rugby and USA Rugby (the sport's national governing body) plan to evaluate applicants' venues, feasibility and ability to meet hosting requirements over the next 14 months.

• Ultimately, 13-15 host cities will be announced in late 2027.

The bottom line: Hosting major sporting events is an economic boon for host cities, and Atlanta officials hope next year's World Cup matches, the 2028 Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four will meet those expectation.