MacGinty targets 2027 World Cup redemption after USA's heartbreaking France exit

AJ MacGinty is determined to reach the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia and erase the memory of the United States’ failure to qualify for France 2023, when a last-minute Samuel Marques penalty secured a 16-16 draw for Portugal and ended the Eagles’ hopes.

The Bristol Bears fly-half, 36, played in the 2015 and 2019 tournaments and had long harboured ambitions of appearing in four World Cups — a goal he says he set before he had even signed a professional contract. “Going back to the very first World Cup when I got into the American squad, and then I looked at the World Cups over the next decade, I would have looked at 2027 Australia and thought, yeah, that’s what I want to do,” MacGinty said. “Sadly, I didn’t get to go to the one in France. So it is an ambition of mine to go to the next World Cup.”

The 43-cap veteran, who made his Eagles debut against Samoa in July 2015, was rested from the USA’s Nations Cup squad during the summer after recovering from an Achilles injury sustained in Bristol’s opening Gallagher Premiership match against Leicester Tigers. He has since returned in impressive form, contributing to the Bears’ unbeaten start to the new domestic campaign.

MacGinty, out of contract at the end of the season, has not ruled out extending his playing career beyond the 2027 tournament. He also acknowledged the broader ambition within the Eagles programme, with the 2031 World Cup scheduled to be held on home soil in the United States.

He praised Eagles head coach Scott Lawrence for the increased time players have spent together, pointing to tours involving matches against Japanese sides and Australia A as evidence of a more structured development pathway. “In terms of the money that’s been put in and the time spent together, that’s something that he’s really been working on,” MacGinty said. “More time together than for the last two years.”

On the state of Major League Rugby, MacGinty noted that while several franchises have withdrawn from the competition, more players are now operating in professional environments in Europe. “It’s still in a growth stage and hopefully we can keep that going into 2027 and beyond,” he added.

For MacGinty personally, the immediate target remains straightforward: reach Australia, and finally win a World Cup match — something that has eluded him across both of his previous tournament appearances.