Leicester to play ground-breaking fixture in USA

Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia will host the Independence Cup fixture between Leicester Tigers and the National Rugby Football League’s Rough Riders this summer.
Home to NFL franchise the Philadelphia Eagles, the 69,000-seat stadium will host Leicester in what will be the first elite professional rugby match played in the United States by a professional American team on Saturday, August 8.
“We are excited to showcase the inaugural Independence Cup at Lincoln Financial Field,” said Eagles president Don Smolenski. “This match kicks off the first rugby game for an elite US team, the Rough Riders, against a historic rugby stalwart, the Leicester Tigers.”
The Independence Cup will kick off the formation of America’s first professional rugby league, the NRFL.
The NRFL’s Rough Riders, the first elite pro rugby team in US history, is a collection of the best professional rugby prospects, made up of former NFL athletes, college American football players, collegiate and club rugby players, and international players.
Leicester Tigers chief executive Simon Cohen said: “The name of Leicester Tigers travels across the world and we’re delighted to have been invited to witness the appetite for the game in the USA at first hand.
“Sporting facilities and the pool of talent in so many sports in the USA are the envy of organisations across the world and it should prove a very interesting trip.
“Rugby is making massive strides there and the fixture against a team selected from the National Rugby Football League will provide an excellent platform for the home-based players and also for our squad as they prepare for a new season.”
Tickets go on general sale this Friday (April 17) at www.ticketmaster.com