Major League Rugby
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|
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| sport | Rugby union |
| abbreviation | MLR |
| Association | Rugby Americas North (RAN) |
| League foundation | 2017 |
| Teams | 12 |
| Country countries |
 United States (11 Teams) Canada (1 Team)
 |
| Title holder | Seattle Seawolves |
| Record champions | Seattle Seawolves |
| TV partner |
United States:
Canada: |
| Website | majorleague.rugby |
The Major League Rugby (also MLR or USMLR ) is a professional Rugby Union League for clubs in North America. In the 2019 season, the competition was held by nine teams, eight from the United States and one from Canada . The league was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City , Utah . On March 12, 2020, the 2020 season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Teams
Twelve teams had confirmed their participation for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The season should consist of 96 games and was divided into two conferences:
| Conference | team | Stadion | Places | Participation since / from | Trainer | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Conference | Austin Gilgronis | Bold Stadium | 5,000 | 2018 | Brett Simmons | ||
| Colorado Raptors | Infinity Park | 5,000 | 2018 | Peter Borlase | |||
| Houston SaberCats | Aveva Stadium | 4,000 | 2018 | Paul Healy | |||
| San Diego Legion | Torero Stadium | 6,000 | 2018 | Rob Hoadley | |||
| Seattle Seawolves | Starfire Stadium | 4,500 | 2018 | Kees Lensing | |||
| Utah Warriors | Zions Bank Stadium | 5,000 | 2018 | Chris Latham | |||
| Eastern Conference | New England Free Jacks | Union Point Sports Complex | 2,000 | 2020 | Josh Smith | ||
| New Orleans gold | Gold mine | 10,000 | 2018 | Nate Osborne | |||
| Old Glory DC | Cardinal Stadium | 3,500 | 2020 | Andrew Douglas | |||
| Rugby United New York | MCU Park | 7,000 | 2019 | Greg McWilliams | |||
| Rugby ATL | Lupo Family Field | 2,500 | 2020 | Scott Lawerence | |||
| Toronto Arrows |
Alumni Field Lamport Stadium |
2,500+ 9,600 |
2019 | Chris Silverthorn | |||
winner
- 2018: Seattle Seawolves
- 2019: Seattle Seawolves
- 2020: season suspended
player
Major league rugby players are typically recruited from North American clubs, although up to ten overseas players are permitted.
Awards
- MLR season
| Player of the year | Forward of the year | Back of the year | Coach of the year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Brad Tucker (Seattle Seawolves) | Paddy Ryan (San Diego Legion) | JP Du Plessis (San Diego Legion) | Rob Hoadley (San Diego Legion) |
- MLR championship
| MVP of the championship game | Championship Series MVP | |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Vili Toluta'u (Seattle Seawolves) | no award |
| 2019 | Juan-Philip Smith (Seattle Seawolves) | Apisai Naikatini (Seattle Seawolves) |