Major League Rugby launched in US

Lost Ormond

Only 4 rounds before playoffs.

Austin and New England leading each of conferences at the moment...

PMC83

Anyone been to an MLS match yet? A friedn went to watch Atlanta play, decent small stadium and looked like a pretty good match day experience

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119041306#Comment_119041306

Have been looking into it but covid put things on hold. might do it for next seasons competition

Lost Ormond

League Update: Due to a violation of league rules, the LA Giltinis have been disqualified from the 2022 Major League Rugby competition. https://t.co/QWopH5NUzm

PMC83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119170457#Comment_119170457

Any details on that? I see Quade Copper arrived, ran about and legged it. Wonder if its related.

Lost Ormond

Noel Reid joining Toronto Arrows

https://twitter.com/TorontoArrows/status/1585666489759195139

PMC83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119802138#Comment_119802138

Interesting move, I wonder is this a reflection of how tight things are out there. You'd assume he could get in a stronger league if he wanted.

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119803288#Comment_119803288

He hasn't been tearing up trees in the last few years.

Last year he split time between being a depth option in the prod2 (getting 5 appearances) and a loan spell in the premiership (getting 2 appearance.

He didn't have a club for this season.

Maybe it will put him in the shop window or maybe its a desperate search for a pro deal.

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119805131#Comment_119805131

Didn't the owner of that French club basically come out and say they were sold a pup?

Lost Ormond

2023 Schedule released

Regular season Starts February 17 and ends June 18

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119878631#Comment_119878631

It seems like a very short season to fund pro rugby.

Looking at those dates makes me think.

Someone could feasibly play the Major League Rugby season and the NPC Cup in New Zealand and still get a decent break.

I wonder if there are any players following that path.

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119879021#Comment_119879021

Similar length season as few other pro leagues. Japan.

They play 16 games in 16 weeks. No breaks for international rugby or any other competitions. Has been a few players who have played both Mitre 10 and MLR in same year

CIARAN_BOYLE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119879132#Comment_119879132

I know with the MLR salary cap that its rather hard to support yourself fully rugby in America and I was reading recently about how the NPC is becoming more semi professional and amateur every year and when I noticed that the dates lined up for a player to play both I just thought it might make sense for a player struggling to stay as a professional rugby player to play both.

I suppose one could play NPC cup and Currie Cup or Top League in Japan too depending on visas lining up and foreign player quotas.

PMC83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119805136#Comment_119805136

yikes really??? Rough

Lost Ormond

Bit of change in teams for next season

rugby atlanta have been purchased and will move cities

league expands to 14 teams in 2024 with a Miami side entering.

PMC83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121009708#Comment_121009708

I've a mate who lived in Atlanta and went to see them a bit. Looked a great day out. Must be so harsh being a fan there though, team up and gone with the click of a finger. In Atlantas case leaving some bad blood too. Massive rebrand 8 months ago, new logos, jerseys and whole lot. Fans bought in only for the team to move on and rebrand again a short time later

ersatz

The MLR is having zero positive impact on the grassroots game in the US, and by extension very little positive impact on the Eagles. They host the RWC in 8 years and I expect they'll have to build a team by bringing in and qualifying players through residency to build a competitive team.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121035966#Comment_121035966

can you elaborate? i dont want that to sound sarcastic or anything, im genuinely interested

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121039254#Comment_121039254

MLR initially had a US qualified player quota for each team in the league but it was quickly dropped and from what I can see the recruitment and academy system is hodge podge and incoherent. The 2 Main MLR owners are rich guys who can't stand each other and the US union has very little power within that structure (which was endorsed by world rugby insanely). Rumor is that USA Rugby (the union) is hiring a director of rugby from abroad with a view to gearing up the team for 2031 and given the disarray of the system I'm guessing they'll have to recruit players too.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121039703#Comment_121039703

i didnt know they dropped the player quota, that seems like not the best idea in fairness. i know they basically let the gilchrist guy do what he wanted too since it looked like he was positive but that obviously worked out how it did

i only have a passing knowledge of the league tbh but it sounds like a few of the teams are based kinda far from the actual places they are named after, which is probably understandable in terms of access to facilities, but still, if someone is travelling to a game its probably not great to have to travel a further hour or two to get to the game.

needs more canadian teams too. its not the easiest because the existing facilities are in a strange location but B.C for example needs a team.

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121039808#Comment_121039808

Which teams are you referring to as based far from where theyre named?

I dont think they need many more canadian teams and if they are to add teams it would be east coast not BC for the moment

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121039864#Comment_121039864

old glory and new york arent that close to the actual cities

of course the east coast would be better, its not like there is already a very popular yearly rugby event in B.C and high levels of participation in the game in the area.......

ersatz

Some of my more in the know rugby pals here are more excited by Super Rugby Americas than by the MLR, only 1 US team but the potential is higher.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Rugby_Americas

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121039915#Comment_121039915

40 miles for old glory and the new york team is in a suburb of NYC. Quite hard to access suitable realistic stadiums within some cities so its not that bad.

I know theres good participation in BC. know quite a few irish playing there etc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040010#Comment_121040010

There wont likely be any more US team to join that. Potential higher for who though?

It professionalizes a few countries which is a good thing

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040029#Comment_121040029

You could see another team joining from the US if it's successful. I think the potential is for it to be a viable competition business wise, basically a touring system where teams play round robin style tournament which keeps costs down and can concentrate crowds more successfully. The MLR has performed poorly so far, maybe it will build but the franchise system means these teams live or die by results in the relatively short term. It's not a great model to build the game at the grassroots level, or even to build a fan base. Bringing in washed up pros from other leagues at the end of their careers or young cast offs might work in soccer where the likes of Beks or Messi have massive profiles and generate their own weather, but rugby is nowhere near that level here.

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040059#Comment_121040059

The US sides will primarily look first to MLR and theyve by and large kept most teams and are trying to expand year on year. Rugby doesnt have that ability that soccer does but i dont see sides looking at joining the south american league especially if they are cities who have yet to field a team/get chance to play in MLR.

The US league has to bring in older pros and young former pros from overseas as just buidling on domestic players alone wont build the game.

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121040096#Comment_121040096

I don't disagree but Im not optimistic for the MLR and even if it succeeds the model is not one that will produce grassroots growth. At best it will become a niche spectacle like 7s which draws crowds in Vegas and LA but leaves nothing behind when the circus moves on. With the pan America approach it's possible to build a coherent culture associated with college teams and build a feeder system, while generating a game with international potential that could create a system for test competition long term.

The MLR system is a little like the reason rugby went pro in the first place, the World Rugby Corporation were enticing players with pro contracts and threatening to build an international game beyond the control of the IRB. Now private franchises are dominating the game in the US and Rugby USA has relatively little power. It's disastrous for the grassroots game and really not very good for the national team. I guess it matters because World Rugby in genius mode has granted the US the World Cup in 8 years but outsourced the game's growth to capitalism. What could possibly go wrong.

Lost Ormond

So the 7th season nearing end of regular season

Anyone have a full list of Irish players,/players who've connection to ireland having played here etc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122279891#Comment_122279891

I think the following is a loose list:

Anthem Rugby Carolina: Declan Moore (Aussie, but IQ. Ex-Ulster, Munster & Connacht- hooker).

Chicago Hounds: Dylan Fawsitt (ex-Blackrock College - hooker), Paddy Ryan (ex Highfield, Dolphin prop), Conall Boomer (flanker, from Donegal, played with Terenure in AIL), Jason Higgins (scrum half, from Cork, capped for Canada), Nick McCarthy (ex Leinster & Munster - scrum half), Luke Carty (from Athlone, out half, Jack's younger brother), Caolan Dooley (ex Glenstal, played for Terenure in AIL), Mark O'Keeffe (ex-Lansdowne, winger/centre), Dave Kearney.

Dallas Jackals: Ronan Foley (flanker, ex-St Mary's College).

Houston Sabrecats: NONE

Miami Sharks: Sean McNulty (hooker, brother of Harry from Ireland 7s, ex Leinster & Munster underage).

New England Free Jacks: John Poland (scrum half, ex-PBC, Ireland U20s)

New Orleans Gold: Fintan Coleman (back row, ex-Young Munster), Cian Darling (back row, from Dublin),

Old Glory DC: NONE

Rugby FC Los Angeles: Alessandro Heaney (prop, played for Cork Con in AIL this season), Niall Saunders (scrum half, ex Ireland U20s), Will Leonard (ex-Shannon, centre).

San Diego Legion: NONE

Seattle Seawolves: Neal Moylett (back row, ex Connacht U19s, Lansdowne), David Busby (centre/winger, 5 caps for Ulster), Sam Windsor (Aussie, out half, 8 caps for Ulster)

Utah Warriors: Paul Mullen (prop, ex Glenstal, Munster U20s).

I'm sure there are more I've missed, or guys who are classified as Americans but think that's it as far as I can tell.

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122279973#Comment_122279973

Shane O'Leary (pro12 winner with Connacht) is at Miami, Pat O'Toole (ex Connacht academy) and Bart Vermeulen (ex Trinity and Connacht academy) are with NOLA, Ben Mitchell (ex UCC) is with LA.

Plenty of guys mentioned are real mainstays of the league.