Saracens will play in the first Premiership fixture abroad after it was announced their clash against London Irish on March 12 will take place in New York.

The Men in Black’s clash with London Irish, which would have taken place at the Madejeski Stadium, will now take place at the home of Major League Soccer franchise New York Red Bulls – the Red Bull Arena.

The game will take place in the build-up to the St Patrick’s Day festivities in New York and the game will be a celebration of Irish culture in ‘the Big Apple’.

Mark McCafferty, Premiership Rugby’s Chief Executive said: “This is a significant day in the history of Premiership Rugby and one that has taken a number of years and a lot of hard work to bring to fruition.

“Premiership Rugby is the most competitive league in world rugby with a fast-growing following outside England and we are delighted to stage a competitive match in the USA.

“There are ambitious plans to grow the game in the States and this is the latest stage in that strategy.

“I’d like to thank both London Irish for their support and vision in making this bold step as well as Saracens and our partners; The Legacy Agency Inc and USA Rugby. We firmly believe this will be a great success and will showcase live Aviva Premiership Rugby to a new audience.”