AJ MacGinty targets 2027 World Cup after Achilles comeback

AJ MacGinty is pulling the strings for Bristol Bears again after almost a year out with a ruptured Achilles, and the 36-year-old wants one more World Cup with the USA.

The fly-half — the No. 10 who directs the attack, decides when to kick and when to pass — made his first start since the injury in Bristol’s opening-round win away at Sale. He played 58 minutes. It was his 60th appearance for the club, in his fifth season at Ashton Gate BBC Sport.

The injury happened on the opening day of last season. MacGinty missed almost the entire 2025-26 campaign. He briefly made it back in May as the season closed, then suffered a calf setback that stalled his recovery.

He is still managing that leg. MacGinty told BBC Radio Bristol he gets cramp in his right calf and cannot yet play a full 80 minutes. The staff are building him back carefully.

Bristol kept faith. He signed a new deal in May to stay until the end of this season. Before Bristol he played for Sale and for Connacht in Ireland.

MacGinty has won 36 caps for the USA. He started all seven of his country’s games at the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. The Americans did not qualify for the 2023 tournament in France.

That gap fuels the next goal. He said making the 2027 World Cup in Australia is a target. He has wanted since his amateur days to reach four World Cups BBC Sport.

For fans, this means watching a veteran manage his body week by week. Sixty minutes of sharp game management now matters more than the full 80 later.

He is already thinking beyond playing. MacGinty said he wants to move into coaching when he stops. For inspiration during rehab, he pointed to Jimmy Gopperth, the former Wasps fly-half who came back from a serious knee injury in 2017 at the age of 35.