Major League Rugby MLR
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@Dan54 said in Major League Rugby MLR:
@Machpants , yep mate not saying otherwise, just saying this is the state of the comp when a 41yo is one of best in comp. Not a criticism of Nonu in anyway,or Giteau for taking on a contract, just sums up where the MLR is in my opinion. It's good that there is another level of pro rugby.
Not sure about Giteau but I’d say Nonu would still be pretty damn sharp for 41. Probably still better than a few Super Rugby players truth be told.
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Watching MLR, the quality of rugby is dreadful for a (semi)professional league. After a few beers you can't help but think "I could play that badly for money"
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Not MLR, but cool
The smoking hot Constance Nunes and her custom car company sponsor the local rugby side.
Sponsors functions I would actually attend
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So this season has already started, without my being aware of it, until by pure luck... the most local of my local breweries happened to have the Seawolves game on the big screen.
Promising precedent.
And decent game, in atrocious conditions, played on a soccer field ... but a win for the good guys with a last minute try.
Potroz playing for the opponents, doing a decent job at this level. -
Big problems in MLR.
- Miami Sharks, NOLA Gold and now the Houston Saber Cats will not be part of the 2026 season.
- Los Angeles and San Diego will be merging to create a new franchise (California Legion).
MLR Crisis Deepens as Houston SaberCats Pull Out of MLR 2026 - Americas Rugby News
The Houston SaberCats are out of Major League Rugby (MLR). After eight seasons of MLR, the Houston Sabercats have pulled-out of competing in MLR 2026. The official Page of Houston’s professional rugby team released the following statement: The decision from the Houston Saber Cats means Major...
With four less teams, that's a lot less opportunities for the non-SR NZ rugby players to earn some coin before returning for the NPC. It might push more to going to Europe or Japan permanently.
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@Bovidae said in Major League Rugby MLR:
It might push more to going to Europe or Japan permanently.
Not necessarily sadly. All it will mean is that more players will be chasing fewer opportunities and not all of the spots available will go to NPC players as there are a few players in other countries that are of around the same standard as our guys. I am also guessing that some players from more economically challenged countries could come at a cheaper cost, an important consideration given the reputed poor financial position of many rugby organisations. A lot our NPC guys could miss out altogether and be forced to stay at home or even worse retire from rep rugby.
It could all revolve around which player agent has the best contacts and who can come up with the best (and pad out) "highlights reel"? -
@Higgins said in Major League Rugby MLR:
@Bovidae said in Major League Rugby MLR:
It might push more to going to Europe or Japan permanently.
Not necessarily sadly. All it will mean is that more players will be chasing fewer opportunities and not all of the spots available will go to NPC players as there are a few players in other countries that are of around the same standard as our guys. I am also guessing that some players from more economically challenged countries could come at a cheaper cost, an important consideration given the reputed poor financial position of many rugby organisations. A lot our NPC guys could miss out altogether and be forced to stay at home or even worse retire from rep rugby.
It could all revolve around which player agent has the best contacts and who can come up with the best (and pad out) "highlights reel"?Completely agree with this. For a lot of guys MLR is the other half of their yearly pay cheque. With an NPC cap of just under 900k. It will be more difficult for non-Super players to dedicate themselves to footy. Especially those over the age of 22/23. Where life starts getting more expensive. There are several guys who have moved from MLR to Super. Some successfully. Some not. We may see players, as you mentioned just pack it in without that year round ability to make a living, albeit a small one out of footy.
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Could be a good watch
568K views · 2.7K reactions | ‘Brothers on Three’ - An unprecedented...
‘Brothers on Three’ - An unprecedented documentary about the most unique culture of any Division I athletic program in the country: The West Point Rugby Team hits select theaters NOVEMBER 7. More on...
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And then there were six....
According to this article, Utah are gone too.
And then there were six. Utah have become the latest team to crash out of Major League Rugby. The Warriors today confirmed that a deal to bring in new investment has fallen through, and they will not take part in the 2026 season. Their decision follows that of Miami, NOLA, and Houston, while San...
There were a lot of Kiwis on their books in previous years (Liam Coltman, Tamarau McGahan, Dylan Nel, Frank Lochore, Logan Crowley, D'Angelo Leuila, Kyle Brown, Blake Makiri, Jordan Trainor)
