ARA Invitational 2028
The ARA Invitational 2028 (“ARA Invitational”) is the USA’s final tournament to determine which players will be sent to represent the USA at WRC 2028 in New York City. The Invitational will be a 64 player event held on January 15-17, 2028 (Martin Luther King weekend).
Host the Invitational!
We are seeking a club to host the Invitational that has the experience to ensure fairness and integrity in the tournament and is enthusiastic about selecting the top players in America to represent us in the WRC. That means renting (or owning) a venue with capacity for at least 64 participants (auto tables are a plus but not a requirement at this time), an experienced tournament organizer, and the ability to put together a great judging team.
This is a great opportunity to make the invitational more accessible to your local qualifying players, and help bring the level of play and tournament hosting in the U.S. to an even higher level. ARA will also be involved in the planning process to help ensure that the invitational will be a success.
You can find the sign-up sheet here to show your interest; concrete venue plans are not required to submit your interest:
Qualifying for the Invitational
The top 60 players in our WRC qualification ranking who are eligible to represent the USA at WRC will be invited to the Invitational, along with the 4 players who qualify through the online American Riichi Mahjong League. If any among these top 64 decline the invitation, then qualification proceeds from ranks 65 and onward until all of the invitational spots are filled.
See the full ranking list on our WRC Qualification page.
Invitational Rules and Format
Tournament rules and format will be published closer to the event.
Qualifying for WRC
Qualification into the WRC via the US quota will begin at Rank 1 and continue downward until all quota selections are determined. If any within these top ranks decline to attend the WRC, then selection will be filled by the next highest available rank.
Read more about the WRC on the on the WRC X (EN): https://x.com/WorldRiichi