Major League Rugby

[The Seeker]

The 2022 Major League Rugby was released today.

Schedules - Major League Rugby

www.majorleague.rugby

 

[The Seeker]

Learning more about the Dallas Jackals ahead of their Inaugural Season - Major League Rugby

Written by Joe Harvey | Photo by Davey Wilson It was less than two months before the 2021 season that the Dallas Jackals made the decision to move their inaugural season in Major League Rugby to 2022. A variety of factors surrounded the decision and across the last nine months plenty has...

www.majorleague.rugby

 

[The Seeker]

As a Legion fan, I sure am glad these ruggers have re-signed with San Diego for the 2022 season.

 

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[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Just looking at last years MLR table, two questions strike me.

1. What has happened to Seattle? (who were strongest in the early years)

2. How are Toronto so weak, given they presumably have first refusal on a log of Canadian players so probably don't suffer the same level of talent spread as the US MLR sides do with getting access to the best US players?

 

[The Seeker]

Just looking at last years MLR table, two questions strike me.

1. What has happened to Seattle? (who were strongest in the early years)

2. How are Toronto so weak, given they presumably have first refusal on a log of Canadian players so probably don't suffer the same level of talent spread as the US MLR sides do with getting access to the best US players?

Seattle lost a lot of those players that earned them MLR championships in the first two seasons. Some are playing for other MLR teams or in other leagues overseas for more money. And Toronto played all of their games on the road last season due to tough Covid-19 regulations in Canada. They shared ATL's pitch in Georgia for their home games, but in reality all of their games were roadies since they're from Toronto. That had to be tough on the players being away from their families and friends in Canada for 5 months.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Seattle lost a lot of those players that earned them MLR championships in the first two seasons. Some are playing for other MLR teams or in other leagues overseas for more money. And Toronto played all of their games on the road last season due to tough Covid-19 regulations in Canada. They shared ATL's pitch in Georgia for their home games, but in reality all of their games were roadies since they're from Toronto. That had to be tough on the players being away from their families and friends in Canada for 5 months.

Thanks Phil, that all makes perfect sense. Fingers crossed for the Arrows this season. Although I'm not sure the prospect of Toronto in early February will have fans flocking to the stadium. I see the average temperature range at that time is -7 Celsius up to a tropical 0 degrees.

 

[The Seeker]

Three of Toronto's four games in February are on the road. MLR has been helping them out the best they can since the Arrows joined the league to avoid as many of those frozen pitch games as possible.

 

[Matt7557]

They tilt the schedule south in the early months of the season for both fans in the north and the south ( nobody wants to be outside in Toronto in February and nobody wants to be outside in New Orleans in May or June

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Glad to see continued gradual expansion and, if I'm right, no MLR side has yet folded?

Is there a side(s) with an up and coming US head coach or is it all mainly coaches from more established rugby nations? A side with a bright US coach is the sort of side I'd most likely take an interest in as a neutral (despite family connections in NY/NJ).

 

[Matt7557]

There have been no clubs that have folded. Atlanta has a us coach, Scott Lawrence. San Diego did last year with Zac Test serving as co head coach

 

[The Seeker]

There have been no clubs that have folded. Atlanta has a us coach, Scott Lawrence. San Diego did last year with Zac Test serving as co head coach

The MLR Colorado Raptors folded after the shortened 2020 season. There's now a club team called American Raptors at their pitch in Glendale, Colorado.

 

[Matt7557]

They don't count lol. They didn't fold they threw a tantrum and left

 

[The Seeker]

Glad to see continued gradual expansion and, if I'm right, no MLR side has yet folded?

Is there a side(s) with an up and coming US head coach or is it all mainly coaches from more established rugby nations? A side with a bright US coach is the sort of side I'd most likely take an interest in as a neutral (despite family connections in NY/NJ).

The Colorado Raptors (previously Glendale Raptors) folded after the 2020 season. Some people are trying to get a team added in the Midwest, possibly in Chicago. Nothing official yet.

 

[The Seeker]

They don't count lol. They didn't fold they threw a tantrum and left

The nut job owner threw a tantrum, back stabbed their loyal fans and folded the team. The club team playing there instead has different leadership.

 

[Matt7557]

It was a mess thank God most of the guys got picked up by other teams. It was shameful. It really was. Now the guys in the club side are turning up for MLR sides

 

[The Seeker]

It was a mess thank God most of the guys got picked up by other teams. It was shameful. It really was. Now the guys in the club side are turning up for MLR sides

I felt bad for their fans. They were very loyal to the team and very nice to me and a caravan of other Legion fans who made the road trip there in 2019.

 

[Matt7557]

Yeah that's a shame to. A lot of the fans were with them when they were a club side before MLR then to have ownership do them like that