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SALT LAKE CITY Major League Rugby (MLR) announced today the 2019 season schedule will be released Wednesday, November 7. The announcement comes shortly after the recent addition of the Toronto Arrows, who will compete in year two of MLR.
“We’re pleased to release our 2019 schedule,” said Major League Rugby Commissioner, Dean Howes. “The pace and delivery will be unmatched as nine elite teams take the pitch in January to compete over the course of 19 weeks.”
The excitement launches the weekend of January 26 with a thrilling repeat of the MLR Championship: Glendale at Seattle. The Seawolves edged the Raptors 23-19 in their last meeting to claim the first-ever Championship Shield.
The second regular-season of Major League Rugby will span 19 weeks and will conclude June 2 before heading into the MLR Championship Series. Scheduling is provided by GotPro, the official scheduling partner of MLR.
Following suit from year one, CBS Sports Network will feature a highlighted Game of the Week each week. Fans can expect to catch matches outside of CBSSN on ESPN+ and AT&T SportsNet. Official match times are subject to change.
Rugby United New York (RUNY) and the Toronto Arrows will join the second installment of MLR, solidifying a nine-team 2019 season. 2020 will see the additions of Atlanta, Boston and Washington, D.C.
Major League Rugby will launch season two with nine teams, including: Austin, Houston, Glendale (Colorado), New Orleans, Rugby United New York, San Diego, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Toronto. Each market has a long history of support for the game of rugby. The members have strong local and civic-minded ownership groups with deep ties to their communities and have established grassroots programs, venues in place or in development, and a player pool featuring the best players in North America, in the 15-player, Rugby Union format.
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About MLR
MLR is a professional rugby league that launched in April of 2018. It’s an initiative of the American rugby community, in partnership with private investors, who believe that American rugby can thrive at the highest levels: as a commercial enterprise; as an influential player on the international scene; and as a participation sport at the youth and senior level. MLR is the pinnacle of the American rugby, and provides a rallying point for local communities, a focal point for American rugby fans, and an aspirational destination for young athletes.
Media Contacts:
Major League Rugby: Hampton Pelton, 801-919-8130, info@usmlr.com