Rugby: Despite reports, Māori All Blacks yet to confirm fixtures for end of year tour

New Zealand Rugby have not yet signed any agreements for the Māori All Blacks to play matches in South America this year.

South American media had reported the Kiwi side would be travelling to the continent to play matches against Brazil and Chile in November. However, the Herald can confirm the team's end of year fixtures were still to be signed off.

The Māori All Blacks are scheduled to play against the USA at Chicago's Soldier Field on November 3, and were expected to go on to take face Canada later on the trip.

However, with the Canadian side being part of a four-team Rugby World Cup qualification playoff in November, New Zealand Rugby were looking into other options for end of year fixtures.

Among those options included matches against Brazil and Chile, but these were yet to be finalised. South America Rugby president Sebastian Pineyrua seemed to confirm the fixtures, however New Zealand Rugby insists this confirmation is premature.

The only confirmed fixture on the team's schedule so far this year was the clash against the Eagles, which would be part of a triple-header that would also include the Black Ferns.

The iconic NFL ground will also host the two New Zealand sides against the men's and women's teams from the United States, as well as a test between Ireland and Italy.

The Māori All Blacks have met their American counterparts twice in recent years, winning 29-19 in Philadelphia in 2013 and 54-7 at Toyota Park in Chicago in 2016.

This will be the fourth time the American ground has hosted international rugby fixtures. In 2014, it was the site of the All Blacks' 74-6 win over the Eagles. A year later, the Eagle met Australia at the ground, before it hosted Ireland's first-ever win over the All Blacks in 2016.

Last year, the Māori All Blacks suited up in three matches. They fell to a 32-10 loss against the British and Irish Lions in June, before their end of year tour saw them topple Canada 51-9 in Vancouver and fall to the French Barbarians 19-15 in Bordeaux.