Former tennis pro Megan Rose to lead 2031 men's Rugby World Cup in the US
Megan Rose, a former professional tennis player who later ran sports events, has been appointed to lead the men's Rugby World Cup in the United States in 2031. World Rugby, the sport's global governing body, announced the appointment on Wednesday 21 October 2026.
Her title is managing director, the senior role in charge of running the tournament. World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin called her "an outstanding leader with a proven track record of delivering world-class sporting events," in The Guardian's report on the appointment.
Rose's route into rugby started on a tennis court. She was a five-time All American at the University of Miami, an honour given to the best college players in the United States, and a national indoor champion. She then played on the WTA Tour, the women's professional tennis circuit.
After that she coached Princeton to an Ivy League women's tennis championship. She went on to work for the WTA and the United States Tennis Association (USTA), the sport's national body in America. Before joining World Rugby, she was managing director of major events and team leader for USA Olympic Tennis.
The Rugby World Cup is one of the biggest events in world sport. It is generally ranked third in size and prestige, behind the FIFA World Cup in football and the Olympic Games, although rankings depend on how you measure them. It takes place every four years for the men and, separately, for the women.
The 2031 men's tournament is one of several to come. Australia will host the men's event in 2027 and the women's event in 2029. The United States will host the men's tournament in 2031 and the women's World Cup in 2033. The World Rugby Council voted unanimously to select the US as host for both, according to Major League Rugby.
The American game is growing, though not without bumps. Major League Rugby, the country's men's professional competition, is down to five teams after a series of failures. Women's Elite Rugby also has five teams.
There has been a brighter moment too. More than 68,000 fans watched South Africa beat New Zealand in Baltimore, Maryland, in the fourth Test of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series. Organisers said it set an attendance record for rugby union on US soil.
Rose's appointment puts a leader with experience of big American sporting events in charge of one of the sport's largest tournaments, four and a half years before it kicks off. The hard work of selling tickets, building stadium crowds and winning over new fans now begins in earnest.
