NZ Rugby eyeing Chicago double header

CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 01: The All Blacks perform the haka before the International Test Match between the United States of America and the New Zealand All Blacks at Soldier Field on November 1, 2014

Matches for the Maori All Blacks and All Blacks on consecutive nights considered

New Zealand Rugby is considering matches in Chicago for the Maori All Blacks and All Blacks on successive nights next year.

The Maori would begin the bonanza double-header against USA at Soldier Field on a Friday and the next night, the All Blacks would take centre-stage against Ireland in front of another capacity 61,500 audience.

It's an ambitious plan to build on the strong spectator and commercial responses when the All Blacks played USA at the famous NFL arena on the way to Europe in 2014.

The Wallabies are following a similar plan, stopping in Chicago en route to the World Cup this year and will play the Eagles at Soldier Field on September 5 before both teams leave for England.

NZR chief executive Steve Tew said nothing had been confirmed on the All Blacks' itinerary for the first week of November 2016 and the board was still working through a number of ideas.

They hoped to make an announcement before the start of this year's RWC.

"The options are narrowing down and we hope it's not long before we have something for you," he said.

He would not talk about any possible opponents for the All Blacks or the concept of a double-header with the Maori, however he conceded NZR was looking to broaden the Maori fixture list.

"We are looking at a programme which would involve some international fixtures for the Maori All Blacks rather than the one-off game we had offshore this year," Tew added.

NZR was keen to have the Maori side play in New Zealand, as they would in 2017 against the touring Lions side, but the difficulty was finding the right opposition for the Maori side at home.

Ireland have been mentioned previously as a potential opponent for the All Blacks in either Boston or Chicago, where many people with Irish connections have settled. The IRU has also been touted as one union keen to broaden their rugby reach.

The All Blacks will have a full schedule next year which will start in the midst of the revamped Super Rugby conference series.

They will host Wales for three tests in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin in June and will start their six Rugby Championship tests against the Wallabies in Sydney on August 20.

The All Blacks' third Bledisloe Cup test is at Eden Park on October 22 before the squad leave for their end-of-year tour, probably through Chicago on the way to Britain.