It was a great moment for the rugby lovers in the United States when the announcement of the arrival of a professional rugby league in the country, the Major League Rugby (MLR), came from the American rugby community. The league saw its inaugural season end on a high note in 2018 contributing a wonderful experience to the rugby fans.

The second edition of the MLR is already underway, and we can expect an even enhanced showing from the participating teams and their players in the 2019 season.

Have a look at some of the important details below.

Inaugural Season Review

The first MLR season was an exciting one where the teams fought hard to add the inaugural title to their names. The Glendale Raptors (8-2) and the Seattle Seawolves (8-2) finished the season on a high and qualified for the final. It was a great game to remember as the Champions got decided only in the final minutes of the performance. The Seattle Seawolves came from behind to beat the Glendale Raptors to be named champions in the inaugural MLR season.

Both teams are expected to perform in the same level in 2019, and we can hope other teams to do better and pose a good challenge to them to have an exceptional season for the rugby lovers across the nation. You can go here and find no fee rugby tickets to watch the live actions of your favorite MLR teams.

Participating Teams

The inaugural 2018 Major League Rugby season included seven teams competing for the championship (Seattle Seawolves, Glendale Raptors, New Orleans Gold, Utah Warriors, Austin Elite, San Diego Legion, and Houston SaberCats) where the Seattle Seawolves became the Champions.

In 2019 season, two new teams, Rugby United New York and the Toronto Arrows were joined the competition as part of the expansion policy. The Toronto Arrows are the first and only team from Canada to be part of the MLR. The league is eying further expansion in 2020 as three other teams are ready to join the party; the New England Free Jacks, Old Glory DC, and Atlanta MLR Team.

Where to Watch?

The 2019 MLR season got a good start on January 26 and will continue till June 2. We have seen an exciting first week where the Seattle Seawolves kept their dominance over the Glendale Raptors in a rematch of the last season’s final. You can watch the live actions on ESPN+ while the international fans are able to watch live streaming on Facebook.

Last year, it was Paul Lasike and Hanco Germishuys who run the show for the Utah Warriors and the Austin Elite respectively. In this 2019 MLR season, the arrival of the great Ben Foden is already influencing the results of the Rugby United New York as they have won two matches they have played so far.

From the results and standings in the opening weeks, we can assume that it’s going to be a thrilling rugby season ahead.