Can Rugby Conquer the U.S.? San Francisco Giants' SVP Surely Thinks So.
*By Amanda Weston*
Rugby is the globe's [second most popular sport](https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/10/america-rugbys-last-frontier/408982/). And after the San Francisco Giants hosted the World Cup Sevens in their stadium last weekend, rugby might [take hold](https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/16/sport/rise-of-american-rugby-ebner-serevi-wooching/index.html) in the U.S.
At the very least, the sport has a new advocate in Stephen Revetria, senior vice president of the Giants.
"To have this opportunity to bid on it, to get it here in our ballpark, it's pretty special," he told Cheddar on Tuesday.
Revetria didn't take the operation lightly. He says the research took several yearsーand required serious travel.
"Over the last three years we traveled the world, learned more about rugby, and were able to get the pitch, get the entertainment right, and really build the excitement and enthusiasm through everything we've been working on for the last few years.
The work, it seems, has paid off: The tournament at the Giant's AT&T park marked the largest rugby event in U.S. history. World Rugby Chief executive Brett Gosper told the Independent on Wednesday he wants the sport to [fully enter](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/international/rugby-world-cup-united-states-us-bid-2027-2031-brett-gosper-chief-executive-a8462301.html) the American market.
Gosper said he welcomes a "magnificent" bid from the U.S. as the process to award the 2027 World Cup looms.
World Rugby [ranks](https://www.worldrugby.org/rankings/mru?lang=en) the U.S. men's team 15th, out of 105 countries. The women's team ranks fifth out of 53.
As for the future of the AT&T park, Revetria said a new village with shops and restaurants is on the horizon.
"It's been a great collaboration with the city, World Rugby, and the Giants."
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/rugby-world-cup-sevens-finds-home-in-san-francisco)
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