IMG, the global sports marketing agency, has secured a long-term partnership with the World Rugby governing body that will see it work to increase the sport’s visibility ahead of the US hosting the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups (RWCs) in 2031 and 2033, respectively.
The agreement will see IMG help World Rugby shape its media and marketing strategy in a way that delivers long-term impact, including providing advice on US and global media rights, distribution, content, and in-market initiatives leading up to the Rugby World Cups.
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As part of the partnership, IMG will also serve as a consultant to World Rugby on its wider global media rights ecosystem as it looks to increase audiences and grow the sport’s value more broadly.
Sam Stitcher, IMG senior vice president of business development, said: “Working side-by-side with World Rugby, we will leverage our global and U.S. resources, knowledge, and expertise of the media and audience landscape to help the sport reach and engage with new fans, in new ways, both internationally and in one of the most strategically important markets in global sport.”
The new partnership builds on World Rugby’s 30-year relationship with IMG, which advised on its domestic rights agreement with Australian commercial broadcaster Nine covering the Rugby World Cup in 2027 and 2029, as well as its rights deal in the US with CBS Sports, which runs through 2029.
The partnership comes as World Rugby looks to boost the visibility of the sport in the US, having identified the market as one of the sport’s “most significant opportunities for new audiences, values, and commercial growth.”
In preparation for the US hosting the men’s and women’s RWCs, World Rugby said it is actively investing in the market by scheduling a record number of international fixtures in “strategically important cities nationwide” throughout 2026, a move the body hopes will drive “momentum, broadcast inventory, and addressable audiences” ahead of the flagship tournaments.
World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin said: “This strategic partnership with IMG is a major step forward in delivering our bold ambitions for rugby in the United States and our long‑term growth strategy for the game globally. The decision to take our men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups to the U.S. in 2031 and 2033 reflects the scale of the opportunity in this market.
“With preparations well underway, a record programme of international matches in 2026, and a stepped‑up partnership approach with our unions, we are entering an important new phase. IMG shares our vision and brings unrivalled media market expertise. We are excited to build this journey together.”
Earlier this year, World Rugby published its impact report from the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup tournament, revealing that the tentpole event generated £294.7 million ($397.6 million) in economic value for host country England.
Staged across the country, the tournament sold a total of 444,465 tickets, more than any other edition in history (tripling the previous tournament), with the showpiece final at Twickenham Stadium in London drawing 81,885 fans, which was the second-best attended World Cup final ever across both men’s and women’s rugby.
On the ticketing front, travel and hospitality also played a major part, with buyers from 33 countries acquiring 13,420 packages in total.
In terms of partner value for the event’s broadcasters, in all 147 million global viewing hours were recorded, up 336% on the previous edition.
This included the UK’s public-service broadcaster BBC, which broke records with its coverage of the tournament.
In terms of sponsorship, World Rugby claims that the pre-tournament partnership drive resulted in a 330% increase in sponsorship revenue compared to the previous edition, and that the tournament generated £201 million in media value for commercial partners.
