Major League Rugby

History and Development

The league was conceived in 2016 amid discussions among several amateur rugby clubs about forming a professional competition. Dean Howes, a former executive from Major League Soccer and the National Hockey League, became a senior strategic advisor to help guide the effort. By February 2017, nine organizations had announced their intention to form the league, which began its inaugural season in April 2018 with seven teams. MLR positioned itself as the successor to earlier competitions like the short-lived PRO Rugby and the amateur Rugby Super League. A significant milestone was achieved prior to launch when MLR secured a multi-year television partnership with CBS Sports Network in November 2017, marking the first time a new American sports league had a national TV deal before playing a game.

The first regular season match was played on April 21, 2018, between the Houston SaberCats and New Orleans Gold. The Seattle Seawolves defeated the Glendale (later Colorado) Raptors 23-19 to win the inaugural championship. Expansion followed quickly, with the Toronto Arrows becoming the first Canadian team in 2019 and three new American clubs, the New England Free Jacks, Old Glory DC, and Rugby ATL, joining in 2020. The league reached its peak size of thirteen teams in the 2022 season. However, the 2020 season was heavily impacted, being cancelled after five rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Subsequent years were marked by both growth and instability. The LA Giltinis and Dallas Jackals joined in 2021 and 2022 respectively, but the Giltinis and Austin Gilgronis were disqualified from the 2022 playoffs and later expelled from the league over rule violations. The Chicago Hounds entered in 2023, and the Miami Sharks were announced for 2024. Following the 2023 season, several teams ceased operations, including the Toronto Arrows and New York Ironworkers. For the 2024 season, the league created Anthem Rugby Carolina, a development team financially supported by World Rugby with the primary goal of preparing US-eligible players for the 2027 and 2031 Rugby World Cups.

By 2025, the league announced a series of trial rules designed to reduce scrums and speed up the game, a move that drew criticism from some fans and commentators. Later that year, a major consolidation was announced, with the San Diego Legion and Rugby FC Los Angeles merging to form the California Legion for the 2026 season. The NOLA Gold, Miami Sharks, Houston SaberCats, and Utah Warriors all announced they would not participate in the 2026 campaign, reducing the league to six teams. In December 2025, CEO Nic Benson stepped down, and the league reorganized its leadership under two co-presidents, Alex Magleby and Graeme Bradbury.

Competition Format

The MLR season traditionally runs from late February to early July. The inaugural 2018 season featured a single-table, double round-robin format. Starting with the 2020 season, the league adopted a conference system, dividing teams into Eastern and Western conferences. Under this format, each team plays a double round-robin against its conference opponents and a set of inter-conference matches, totalling 16 regular season games. The postseason involves the top three teams from each conference. The second and third seeds face each other in a wildcard game, with the winner advancing to a conference final against the top seed. The conference champions then meet in the MLR Championship final to determine the league champion.

MLR operates as a closed, single-entity league, similar to Major League Soccer, without promotion or relegation. The league itself owns the teams, with franchise operators holding a share in the overall league. This structure is common in North American professional sports. The league also implemented its first collegiate draft in 2020, and teams have established youth academies to develop domestic talent. For the 2025 season, the league experimented with rule changes aimed at reducing the number of scrums to increase the pace of play, though these trials were met with mixed reactions.

Teams and Franchise Changes

The composition of MLR teams has been fluid since its inception. The Seattle Seawolves are the only founding team from 2018 that remains active. Other long-standing participants include the New England Free Jacks and Old Glory DC, which joined in 2020, and the Chicago Hounds, which entered in 2023. The league has seen several teams relocate, such as Rugby ATL, which moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles and rebranded as Rugby FC Los Angeles for the 2024 season. That club later merged with the San Diego Legion to form the new California Legion franchise for 2026.

Numerous teams have withdrawn or folded since the league began. The Colorado Raptors were the first to withdraw in 2020, citing a philosophical divergence from the league's player development model. The Austin Gilgronis and LA Giltinis were expelled in 2022 following a dispute over league rules. The Toronto Arrows ceased operations in late 2023 after the death of founder Bill Webb and an inability to secure new investment, followed shortly by the New York Ironworkers. Ahead of the 2025 season, the Dallas Jackals announced they would not participate. A wave of further suspensions was announced in 2025, with NOLA Gold, Miami Sharks, Houston SaberCats, and Utah Warriors all stepping away from the 2026 campaign. Anthem Rugby Carolina disbanded in July 2026 after its three-year funding agreement with World Rugby expired.

The expansion franchise fee for Major League Rugby was US$4 million as of 2019. By July 2025, several teams announced they would not participate in the 2026 season, including the New Orleans Gold, Miami Sharks, Houston SaberCats, and Utah Warriors. This reduced the total number of teams to six for the 2026 campaign. Despite these financial headwinds, league commissioner Nic Benson, team executives, and owners were confident that the league would continue to function with a strong core of teams.

Broadcast and Media Coverage

Television coverage for MLR has evolved through partnerships with several major sports networks. The league's first national deal was with CBS Sports Network in 2017. The 2019 Championship final was broadcast on CBS, marking MLR's first appearance on free-to-air television and drawing an audience of approximately 510,000 households. For the 2022 through 2024 seasons, Fox Sports held the national rights, broadcasting select matches on FS1 and FS2. The 2022 final between New York and Seattle averaged 281,000 viewers. As of 2025, national linear television coverage moved to ESPN2, while all other matches are available for live streaming on ESPN+.

In March 2021, MLR launched The Rugby Network, a free streaming platform in partnership with RugbyPass. It provides a destination for live matches, highlights, and other rugby content. By 2024, the platform reported over 271,000 subscribers with 55% year-over-year growth. The league also launched an official mobile app for news and content. Several teams have secured separate local broadcast agreements. For example, the Chicago Hounds have a deal with Marquee Sports Network, the former San Diego Legion had games on YurView California, and the Toronto Arrows' matches were broadcast in Canada on TSN from 2020 to 2023.

Players and Development

MLR rosters are composed of a mix of North American and international players. The league's original concept aimed to limit foreign players to three per team, but this was increased to five before the first season and later to ten. This expansion of international slots drew criticism from some quarters who argued it limited opportunities for American player development. In response, the league has implemented structures like the collegiate draft and team academies to nurture domestic talent. The creation of Anthem Rugby Carolina for the 2024 season was a direct initiative, backed by World Rugby, to fast-track the development of US-eligible players for future World Cups. The league has attracted several high-profile international stars, which has helped raise its profile. Notable signings have included French international Mathieu Bastareaud (Rugby United New York), New Zealand's Ma'a Nonu (San Diego Legion), and South Africa's Tendai Mtawarira (Old Glory DC). The league presents annual awards, including the Major League Rugby Player of the Year, which was first awarded in 2019 and has been given every season since except for the cancelled 2020 campaign.

Champions and Rivalries

Since its first season, MLR has crowned a champion annually, except in 2020 when the season was cancelled. The Seattle Seawolves were the inaugural champions and have won the title twice (2018, 2022). Other champions include the New England Free Jacks (2024), San Diego Legion (2023), and Rugby United New York (2022). The league also fosters secondary competition through officially recognized rivalry cups, most of which are conceived as local derbies between teams in the same region. These cups add a layer of tradition and fan engagement to the regular season schedule. Several of these cups are currently listed as inactive due to teams withdrawing or relocating, but they may be revived with new team alignments in the future. The system includes competitions for geographically paired teams, though specific cup names have been paused due to franchise changes like the departure of the Toronto Arrows or the merger of California teams.

• Inactive Rivalry Cups: These have been paused due to franchise changes, such as the departure of the Toronto Arrows or the merger of California teams.

Questions about Major League Rugby

How can I watch MLR games in Canada?

MLR games are available through several platforms. National broadcast coverage as of 2025 is on ESPN2 for select matches, with all other matches streaming live on ESPN+. The league also operates its own free streaming service, The Rugby Network, which carries matches and highlights. Historically, when the Toronto Arrows were active, their games were broadcast in Canada on TSN from 2020 to 2023.

Why did so many MLR teams leave before the 2026 season?

Multiple teams announced they would not participate in the 2026 campaign, reducing the league to six teams. The NOLA Gold, Miami Sharks, Houston SaberCats, and Utah Warriors all suspended operations. The San Diego Legion and Rugby FC Los Angeles merged to form a single California franchise. These decisions were driven by financial challenges and strategic realignments, though league leadership expressed confidence in the strength of the remaining core teams.

What is the purpose of the Anthem Rugby Carolina team?

Anthem Rugby Carolina was created for the 2024 season. The team served as a development team for US-eligible players, based upon the USA Hawks Under-23 men's development side. It was financially supported by World Rugby, and its primary purpose was to develop US-eligible players to help qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup and improve the USA Eagles before the USA-hosted 2031 Rugby World Cup. The team disbanded in July 2026 after its three-year funding agreement with World Rugby expired.

Does MLR have promotion and relegation like European rugby leagues?

No, Major League Rugby does not use a system of promotion and relegation. It is structured as a closed, single-entity league, similar to other major North American sports leagues like the NFL or MLS. The league owns the teams, and franchise operators hold a share in the league. New teams enter through expansion, subject to an approval process and a franchise fee, which was US$4 million as of 2019.

Is there a Canadian team in Major League Rugby?

Yes, there was a Canadian team in Major League Rugby. The Toronto Arrows joined the league ahead of the 2019 season as the first Canadian team in MLR. The league reached an all time high of thirteen teams in the 2022 season, including this one team in Canada. However, in November 2023, the Toronto Arrows announced they would cease all operations following the death of founder Bill Webb and a failure to secure new investors. Consequently, as of the 2024 season and beyond, there are no longer any Canadian teams competing in Major League Rugby.

Who are the current leaders of Major League Rugby?

The current leaders of Major League Rugby are co-presidents Alex Magleby and Graeme Bradbury. This leadership structure was established in December 2025 when the league announced that CEO Nic Benson would step down. Prior to their selection as co-presidents, Alex Magleby was the co-founder and CEO of the New England Free Jacks franchise. Graeme Bradbury previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of Major League Rugby itself. This reorganization placed the league under the shared leadership of these two individuals.

Sources and further reading

• Major League Rugby (Wikipedia)
• About us (majorleague.rugby)

Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-23.