Major League Rugby MLR

[Stargazer]

MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY FINAL (Sunday 26 June 2022, kick-off 4.00am NZT)

Rugby New York v Seattle Seawolves

Both teams finished 3rd in their pool after the regular season.

Rugby New York beat 2nd placed Rugby ATL in the play-off for a spot in the Eastern Conference Final against table-toppers New England Free Jacks. Yesterday, Rugby New York won that Eastern Conference Final 24 - 16.

Seattle Seawolves beat 5th ranked San Diego Legion in the play-off for a spot in the Western Conference Final against 4th placed Houston SaberCats, who I think were the team to benefit from LA Giltinis late exclusion from the Finals and didn't have to play for a spot in the Final. A bit weird if you think of it; shouldn't that have been the 3rd ranked team behind both excluded teams, who were 1st and 2nd ranked? Anyway, Seattle Seawolves won the Western Conference by beating the SaberCats 46 - 27.

Finalist New York's squad includes Kalolo Tuiloma, Nic Mayhew, Will Tucker, Brendon O'Connor, Kara Pryor, Antonio Kiri Kiri, Andy Ellis, Jack Heighton, Faʻasui Fuatai, Jason Emery, Ed Fidow, Nehe Milner-Skudder and Waisake Naholo.

Seattle Seawolves have few Kiwis in their squad, but it will be brother against brother: Brad Tucker plays for Seattle. Also in the squad are Sam Matenga and Setefano Funaki (Northland?).

[Stargazer]

Americas Rugby News  /  Jul 20, 2022

Former All Black Greg Cooper is Utah’s new Head Coach - Americas Rugby News

Greg Cooper is the new Head Coach of the Utah Warriors. The 57-year-old New Zealander fills a role left vacant after the departure of Shawn Pittman halfway through the 2022 campaign. Assistant coach duo Shaun Davies and Robbie Abel saw out the rest of the season. As a player Cooper is best known as...

[mikedogz]

annechandlery

Major League Rugby Issues 2023 Competition Update - Major League Rugby

The Los Angeles Giltinis and the Austin Gilgronis will not compete in 2023 DALLAS (Oct. 25, 2022) — Major League Rugby (MLR) today announced that the 2023 MLR season will now feature 12 teams in a two-conference competition. 11 of the teams that competed in 2022 will return for the 2023 campaign,...

[Stargazer]

@mikedogz

Major League Rugby (MLR) today announced that the 2023 MLR season will now feature 12 teams in a two-conference competition. 11 of the teams that competed in 2022 will return for the 2023 campaign, however, neither the Austin Gilgronis nor Los Angeles Giltinis will participate. The 12th team will be an expansion team in a new market.

I wonder where that new, twelfth team is based. Finally a team from Hawai'i?

[Bovidae]

Still no Midwest teams so Chicago would be a good choice.

[Stargazer]

@Bovidae Oh yeah, that might be the one! That's been in the works for a few years now, isn't it?

I'm assuming they consider San Francisco the same "market" as LA?

[Bovidae]

@Stargazer Yes, there has been talk of a Chicago-based team for a few years now. A large part of the US has been ignored so far.

[mikedogz]

6.2K views · 227 reactions | Are you ready? More info coming soon....

Are you ready? More info coming soon. #MLR2023.

[Stargazer]

Things aren't going too well in the MLR. Sounds like quite an incompetent organisation is in charge of the comp.

Bigger:

[Stargazer]

Bigger:

[Darren]

Its all such a cluster.

I stopped paying too much attention once my local team left 3 or 4 years ago, Colorado Raptors.

[Crucial]

Trying to apply a US sports model to a part time sport is crazy. These are some of the same arguments and hurdles we face in distribution of talent in SR and that is with reasonable contracts and smaller distances.

[Stargazer]

annechandlery

MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES EXPANSION INTO CHICAGO - Major League Rugby

The Chicago Hounds will compete as 12th MLR team in the 2023 season Chicago (Nov. 17, 2022) – Major League Rugby (MLR) today unveiled the team name, logo, and color scheme for its newest franchise, the Chicago Hounds. Holding a press conference to officially announce MLR’s latest expansion,...

[Stargazer]

A bit weird that the Chicago team has picked the name of a former ice hockey team. There's also a baseball team with that name. Unless they're all part of the same sports organisation?

[Bovidae]

There are two Chicago-based rugby clubs called the Lions and Griffins, who play in the Midwest Rugby Premiership. I would assume the Hounds are totally independent of them.

[Stargazer]

@Bovidae I was wondering whether the all the Hounds teams were part of the same organisation, not the Lions and the Griffins, which I didn't mention. Or am I misunderstanding your comment?

[Bovidae]

@Stargazer My post wasn't a direct reply to your question. I honestly don't know. It would have been good to choose a name that continues the theme of the existing clubs in the city.

[Frye]

@Stargazer said in Major League Rugby MLR:

A bit weird that the Chicago team has picked the name of a former ice hockey team.

Nah, not weird at all. Names get reused all the time, there are plenty of overlaps. Cardinals, Giants, Rangers etc. And they're current AND in the majors.

You're talking about a former minor league hockey team that hasn't existed for 15 years. Minor league. And was only in operation for two seasons. I don't think there's going to be any confusion.

Lots of bad name possibilities. Gilgronis, Giltinis anyone? Hounds is absolutely one of the better names they could have come up with.

[Stargazer]

Utah Warriors have named their squad for the 2023 season:

Kiwis:
Henry Bell
Jamie Lane
Zion Going
Connor McLeod
Caleb Makene

[Nepia]

@Stargazer said in Major League Rugby MLR:

Caleb Makene

In a not stupid world Makene would be with the Highlanders instead of them bringing over a foreigner.