Maro Itoje backs plans to move Six Nations to US and suggests new host city

England and British & Irish Lions captain Maro Itoje admits he would be keen on playing Six Nations matches in another country after World Rugby held talks over staging the tournament in the United States.

The global governing body is keen to grow the game in the US ahead of the men's Rugby World Cup being held there in 2031, with the final Test of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series between South Africa and New Zealand taking place in Baltimore earlier this month.

World Rugby chief Alan Gilpin expressed hope that "there is the appetite" to take a Six Nations match across the Atlantic, with the likes of Mike Tindall going further and calling for an entire tournament weekend to be staged Stateside in the near future.

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However, Ireland have dismissed the idea they were considering any move, while former Scotland international Jim Hamilton has also questioned the proposals and claimed that the "sacred" tournament doesn't "need a boost".

But asked for his thoughts on moving Six Nations matches abroad, Itoje - whose Saracens side faced Newcastle in a Prem Rugby match in Philadelphia back in 2017 - admitted he would open to "play anywhere".

Speaking to The Rugby Paper, the influential England lock admitted there were "pros and cons" to the idea but suggested that Las Vegas could play host to a game in the future, with the city already staging annual rugby league events.

“It’s not my decision to make but I’m open to play a game of rugby anywhere," said Itoje. "Why not take us to Vegas? I’ve not been there for a couple of years! And they now play Super League club games over there.

“We’ve done it on the Premiership side of things, and there has been talk about the Lions playing games against France in somewhere like Spain.

“There are always pros and cons for every change made with arguments for and against," he added, as he admitted that the Rugby Football Union would not want to lose out on a Twickenham "money-maker".

"Allianz Stadium will always be the home of English rugby. It’s a huge money-maker too, so England wouldn’t want to play too many games away from there. But the odd game here and there is a good thing.”

Itoje's comments come after Gilpin told The Telegraph earlier this month: "In terms of the matchday economics, [South Africa vs New Zealand] is like a Six Nations match.

"It starts to show that [financial return] is not the barrier. So if there is the appetite to take some of these big matches in the future to the US, we can now.”

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