League: Major League Rugby

Founded in 2017 with it’s inaugural season played in 2018, Major League Rugby (MLR) is the highest level of professional rugby in North America.

2026 – RD 9: Chicago Hounds v Seattle Seawolves

The Chicago Hounds host the Seattle Seawolves at Seatgeek Stadium during Round 9 of the 2026 MLR season. This match marks the 2nd leg of the 2026 ‘Land v Sea’ Battle.

The undefeated Chicago Hounds have already locked up their place in the post season, but need 2pts from this game to lock up home advantage for the entire postseason with the Final already taking place in Chicago. The Seattle Seawolves will enter this game with confidence, having righted their ship and comfortably sat 2nd in the table. Even with some rotation from the Hounds, they came out on fire. Jake Kinneeveauk opened the scoring just 3 minutes into his first career MLR start, but the Seawolves didn’t just roll over. The visitors put together a lovely team try finished out wide my Davy Coetzer about 10 minutes later which was quickly cancelled out by another Hounds score from Noah Brown, then Ruben de Haas a few minutes later after some outrageous offloading from Peyton Wall on the wing. The Seawolves would hit back again through Ina Futi at the 25 minute mark, but a dagger from Maclean Jones on a superb line gave the Hounds the try BP on the stroke of half time, and deflate the Seawolves.

The Chicago Hounds started the second half much like the first, and just blew the Seawolves away. They added another 5 tries in the second half to a consolation score for Seattle and racked up a final score of 59-17 against the 2nd placed Seawolves, who many thought would give the Hounds a serious challenge. The Hounds improve to 8-0, and move closer to the goal of 10-0. The Seawolves may drop to 3rd place depending on the Legion result this evening. They’re still in the hunt for 2nd place, but no bonus points here is a blow.

 

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2026 – RD 9: Anthem RC v New England Free Jacks

Anthem RC host the defending champion New England Free Jacks at American Legion Memorial Stadium during Round 9 of the 2026 MLR season.

With 3 weeks remaining of the regular season, the New England Free Jacks currently in 5th only separated from 6th placed Anthem by points difference. The term ‘must-win’ may have been overused a bit during the shortened 2026 MLR campaign, but it cannot be overstated how badly both of these sides need a victory to keep their playoff chances alive. Both on a 2-5 record, the New England Free Jacks have struggled to maintain any sort of momentum so far this season, and despite bringing in significant reinforcements at the signing deadline including club legends Paula Balekana and Andrew Quattrin, few of these reinforcements have seen action yet this season. Anthem RC are reeling after two heavy defeats to Chicago then Seattle, and are on a 4-game losing streak. Now back at home, can the Rising Stars turn things around?

This game proved a messy, raining, low scoring affair. Anthem RC had the momentum through the first 20 minutes, camped in the Free Jacks half for the vast majority of the time. Repeat offences put the visitors down to 14 men, but despite all the territory and the lion’s share of possession, the Rising Stars were unable to open the scoring. This trend continued until just after the 30 minute mark. Anthem half-broke the Free Jacks line, but a pass that should’ve meant an easy score didn’t go to hand, and New England’s Joel Hodgson scooped it up and raced the other way. Oscar Lennon ran a good support line to finish the score and put the first points on the board before Hodgson added the extras. Completely against the run of play, the Free Jacks piggybacked off this score to shift the momentum, and had a second and third score called back after reviews. Oscar Lennon’s score would be the only points of the first half.

The second half started with both sides feeling each other out and both making mistakes. It would be the 48th minute before Anthem got on the board through a close range effort from Makeen Alikhan that was unsuccessfully challenged by New England. Luke Carty added the extras to even things up at 7, but the Free Jacks would hit back shortly afterwards, also from short range as Maliu Niuafe crossed to restore the visitors lead. The 7-12 scoreline would remain until around the 70 minute mark, with both sides trying to break the stalemate but Anthem making errors at crucial times stifled them, especially at the lineout. The boot of Joel Hodgson would extend the Free Jacks lead to 7-15 from a penalty, before Cam Gerlach scored off a fortunate bounce (unsuccessfully challenged by Anthem) in the final minute to take the final score up to 7-20 to the Free Jacks.

A must-win game for both sides, the Free Jacks keep their playoff hopes alive but fail to secure the try bonus point, so move to 1pt ahead of Old Glory DC with the Flags still to play. Although the scoreline doesn’t really reflect how close this game was in actuality, this could be the season for Anthem RC, who fall to 2-6 and a five-game losing streak. They now sit stone dead last in the standings.

 

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2026 – RD 8: Old Glory DC v New England Free Jacks

Old Glory DC host rivals the New England Free Jacks at George Mason University during Round 8 of the 2026 MLR season. This match marks the 2nd leg of the 2026 Red, White, & Blue Bowl as a Sunday Night Rugby marquee matchup.

Both sides come into this game with 2-4 records through their first 6 games, with Old Glory DC in 5th place only ahead of the 6th placed New England Free Jacks by virtue of their better points difference. The Flags are looking to snap a 3 game skid, while the Free Jacks are still scrambling to get going. The defending champs are coming off a big win over the California Legion last week, but the Flags have had their number in the last 3 meetings.

Red, White & Blue bowl matches have a tendancy to produce nailbiters, and this one was no different! These teams were the lowest scoring clubs entering this game, but they both opened their accounts early in this one. The hosts got on the board first through a break out wide, finished by Ross Depperschmidt running a great support line. This was almost immediately cancelled out by an Oscar Lennon score from a slick set play off an attacking lineout. There wouldn’t be another score for roughly 20 minutes despite significant pressure from the Free Jacks, but the Old Glory DC defence held firm with some huge stands on their own line. Eventually however, the Free Jacks found a gap from well within their own end and some kicking over the top from the New England backs and Ben LeSage gathered it after a couple of fly-hack past defenders, and trundled over the line. Despite an initial call of held up, referee Robbie Jenkinson reviewed the play and found sufficient evidence to award the try, giving the defending champions a 7-14 lead after Hodgson added the extras. A penalty try for Old Glory DC roughly 10 minutes later evened things up at 14-14 however with Reuben Palmer shown a yellow card, but a last minute penalty kick by Joel Hodgson gave the visitors a 14-17 lead at the break.

Hodgson would also bank the first points of the 2nd half, slotting another penalty in the 49th minute to extend the Free Jacks lead to 6, before the Flags struck back with a beautiful crossfield kick from Jason Robertson right into the hands of Perry Humphreys, who fed it inside to Damien Hoyland for an easy, but very pretty, score. Robertson then added the extras to give DC a narrow 21-20 lead with about 23 minutes to play. The Free Jacks were clearly trying to take points whenever they could, as Hodgson added a 3rd penlaty kick just after the second hydration break to give the visitors back the lead, now up 21-23 with just under 20 to play. Advantage, New England. A few minutes later, DC were given a penalty of their own but Jason Robertson’s attempt at points rang off the upright. Thankfully for the hosts, he was given another chance a few minutes later, and made no mistakes. Old Glory DC take a 24-23 lead with 10 to play, and the Free Jacks were unable to shift the scoreboard any further.

Old Glory DC record their 4th straight victory over the New England Free Jacks, sweeping the regular season series for the second year in a row and jumping into a playoff spot, now sat 4th with 15pts and a 3-4 record. The Free Jacks’ playoff hopes take a knock, but a losing BP puts them ahead of Anthem RC on points difference, and their game next week against the Rising Stars is critical.

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2026 – RD 8: Seattle Seawolves v Anthem RC

The Seattle Seawolves host Anthem RC at Starfire Stadium during Round 8 of the 2026 MLR season.

The Seattle Seawolves return home after a big road win over Old Glory DC to give their playoff push a big boost, and now sit 3rd with a 3-3 record. Anthem RC on the other hand, started the season strong but are currently on a 3 game skid after falling to the Chicago Hounds last week despite scoring 36pts, falling 61-36 against the undefeated Hounds. It will be a big ask for the Rising Stars to steal on the road in Seattle, but it’s necessary if they want their playoff aspirations to stay intact.

Both sides got off to great starts, with Andre Warner and Dewald Kotze tries for the Seawolves sandwiching a Campbell Robb score for Anthem within the first 10 minutes. The Seawolves would step on the gas just after this, however, and blew the Rising stars away with 4 more tries in the next 15 minutes to run out to a 42-7 lead. Anthem would hit back through Julian Roberts and Conner Mooneyham on either side of the half time break, but already these were nothing more than consolation scores. Seattle would run in 3 more scores in the second half to record a 57-21 home victory, the first time the Seawolves have recorded over 50pts scored since Round 11 of the 2025 season.

Anthem seem to fall into their old ways a bit in this game, and limp back to Carolina to regroup. They fall to 2-5 with their 4th straight defeat, and if this game wasn’t ‘must win’ enough, next week’s challenge against the New England Free Jacks is doubly so. The Seattle Seawolves jump to 2nd place with a bonus point win, overtaking the California Legion after their loss to the Hounds yesterday.

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2026 – RD 8: California Legion v Chicago Hounds

The California Legion host the Chicago Hounds at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Norther California during Round 8 of the 2026 MLR season.

It’s 1st against 2nd on the west coast, as the undefeated Chicago Hounds face the 3-3 California Legion with the Hounds able to lock up a 2026 playoff spot with 3 games remaining of the regular season. Despite some relatively weak defence and a rotated roster, the Hounds were able to record an enormous 61-36 victory over Anthem RC last week to take them to 6-0 and the maximum of 30pts so far. The California Legion proved that wet weather is definitely their weakness, falling 26-21 on the road to the New England Free Jacks. With 4 yellow cards against, the Legion shot themselves in the foot, and will be looking to bounce back against the league’s best side.

Although the opened the scoring after 7 minutes through a Brock Webster break, the Chicago Hounds were given their biggest test of the season so far. The California Legion put the pressure on and opened their account through Gonzalo Bertranou roughly 10 minutes later, with Coby Miln adding the extras to take a narrow 7-5 lead. The Hounds kept pushing and the lead swung back over to the guests after Ollie Devoto ran a great line, before Steffan Crimp took a quick lineout after he noticed the Hounds switched off, and Joey Mano ran in for another change in leader. The Legion, now with the momentum, enjoyed their turn to push and scored again through Ben Sugars (his 5th of the season) to extend their lead right before the half. With the hosts ahead 19-12, this game marks the first time this season that the Chicago Hounds have been trailing at half time, having secured a try BP in every other game so far this season.

The Hounds must’ve been aware of this, because they came out in the second half with a point to prove. The Hounds dominated for the first 20 minutes of the second half, but the California Legion held firm in defence, and kept forcing errors. Just after the second hydration break however, the Hounds finally broke through. After cycling through phases, they found a half gap and Oti Pifeleti stormed over after running a perfect support line for the 10th try of his MLR career, and Chris Hilsenbeck added the extras to even things up. The Hounds stayed focused, and kept piling on the pressure, eventually earning themselves a penalty with Hilsenbeck stepping up to give the Hounds a narrow 19-22 lead, but they weren’t done there. Mason Flesch reached out to ground his 6th try of the season in as many games to secure the try BP for Chicago and extend their lead to 10pts and 17 unanswered points. The Legion would fight back, with Tas Smith breaking the line and earning a penalty, which Miln put into the corner and off the ensuing lineout Fred Apulu trundled over for his 2nd career try. There were some justified calls for a knock-on, but referee Luke Rogan’s on-field decision was a try and there was no conclusive evidence to overturn that decision, so the try stood and the Legion pulled back to within 3pts with roughly 5 minutes to play. Unfortunately for the home side, a knock-on from the Legion popped into Peyton Wall’s hands, who offloaded to Brock Webster to flip the field, and after a few phases Brandon Harvey was able to cross to put the game to bed with his 2nd of the season. The California Legion attempted to fight back again to secure a losing BP, but an obstruction call stifled that, and the Hounds leave California with a 26-36 victory, sweeping the Legion in their 2026 series.

With this victory, the Chicago Hounds move to 7-0 and secure a playoff spot with 3 games remaining, recording their longest win streak and Old Mate possession ever. If the Seattle SEawolves fail to pick up any points in their Round 8 match against Anthem RC, the Hounds will secure home field advantage. The California Legion fall to 3-4, but salvage a try BP and remain in 2nd place for the timebeing, 16pts behind Chicago on 19pts.

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2026 – RD 7: Chicago Hounds v Anthem RC

The Chicago Hounds host Anthem RC at Seatgeek Stadium for a Sunday Night Rugby marquee matchup during Round 7 of the 2026 MLR season.

The Hounds remain unbeaten through the first half of the 2025 season, and top the MLR standings with the maximum 25pts and a 5-0 record, holding the Old Mate in the process. Anthem RC are coming off their bye week in Rd 6, and sit in 4th with a respectable 2-3 record. The Hounds fielded a rotated lineup for this game, and Anthem may see this as their best chance to take them down a peg.

The visitors came flying out of the gate and opened the scoring through Dom Akina in just the 3rd minute, but Luke Carty was unable to add the extras fora  5-0 lead that lasted roughly 5 minutes when the Chicago Hounds hit back through Matt Oworu, then Maclean Jones a few minutes later with Videla able to add the extras for both, giving the Hounds a 5-14 lead. The first half an hour was pretty end to end, with Johan Momsen and Mark O’Keeffe picking up a pair of tries each, and Mac Jones adding a second of his own to balloon the score to 33-19. Incidentally, this was the score at the final whistle of the first meeting between these two teams earlier this season, but they got there in just over 30 minutes this time.

Just as they did in the first half, the Rising Stars started the second on the front foot, and got on the board early once again, this time through Malacchi Esdale to cut the deficit to 9pts. Unfortunately for Anthem, the Chicago Hounds then hit back roughly 8 minutes later (also similar to the first half) with Theo Fourie and Brock Webster tries sandwiching a Marques Fuala’au try, then Peyton Wall & Jake Kinneeveauk scores sandwiching a Campbell Robb try to finish things off. A strong effort from Anthem RC, who secure a try BP and record 6 tries, but the Chicago Hounds continue to dominate this season, scoring 9 tries of their own and setting a new franchise record with 61pts scored. It’s quite the statement from Chicago to concede 6 tries and 36pts but still win by 25.

With 6 wins from 6, the Chicago Hounds can already secure a playoff spot in their clash with the 2nd placed California Legion, while Anthem RC fall to 2-4 but still sit in a playoff spot with 12pts. The Rising Stars need to get back in the win column soon if they want to stay competitive however, and face a resurgent Seattle Seawolves team on the road next week.

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2026 – RD 7: Old Glory DC v Seattle Seawolves

Old Glory DC host the Seattle Seawolves at George Mason University during Round 7 of the 2026 MLR season.

Old Glory DC enter the second half of the 2026 season with 4 home games in their remaining 5 fixtures. They sit 5th in the standings but right in the mix with a 2-3 record. The Flags are looking to bounce back after giving the Chicago Hounds their biggest test of the season last week. The Seattle Seawolves sit 1pt ahead of DC in the standings, also with a 2-3 record. The injury-striken Seawolves managed a convincing road win over the reeling Free Jacks last week to jump from 6th to 3rd.

Two of the more defence-minded teams in Major League Rugby spend the majority of the first have trying to figure each other out. The Seawolves, again without their regular kicker Davy Coetzer, relied on Divan Rossouw from the tee which worked well, and held a narrow 3-6 lead until just half time. It was very much ‘one for the purists’ through the first 35 minutes until John Rizzo struck twice in quick succession including a spectacular solo effort to deal a huge blow to the Seawolves morale just before the break, going from leading 3-6 to trailing 15-6 in the space of 3 minutes!

Whatever coach Allen Clarke said to the visitors at half time worked. In his first game of the season after picking up an injury in pre-season, Ina Futi got things rolling for Seattle early in the second half, and Andre Warner added a second a few minutes later to re-take the lead, and the guests would strike twice over the next 12 minutes to extend this lead to 15-30 and now it was Old Glory DC that were reeling. They would add a Damien Hoyland score and both a conversion and penalty from the boot of Jason Robertson to pull within 5, but couldn’t get that final try thanks in part to a red for Captain Rob Harley, and a yellow for Cali Martinez to put Old Glory at a disadvantage for the past quarter of the game. The Flags pick up a losing bonus point, but fall 25-30 to Seattle and sit with a 2-4 record in 5th place.

Old Glory DC will rally to face their rivals the New England Free Jacks next week, with the defending champions having closed the gap in the standings following their victory over the California Legion yesterday. The Seattle Seawolves improve to a 3-3 record through 6 games, and sit all the way up in 3rd on 16pts, strengthening their playoff push.

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2026 – RD 7: New England Free Jacks v California Legion

The New England Free Jacks host the California Legion at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in Quincy during Round 7 of the 2026 MLR season. This game marks the first ‘Northeast v Southwest’ game of the year.

A fully rested California Legion travel across the country following their bye last week and enter this game currently 2nd in the league with a 3-2 record. This is close to a must-win game for the New England Free Jacks, who sit at the bottom of the league with a 1-4 record after falling to the Seattle Seawolves last week. In a shortened 2026 season, time is running out to turn things around. The Legion dispatched the Free Jacks with relative ease back in Round 2 by a score of 43-5, but the defending champions have brought in reinforcements, and are playing at the formidable Fort Quincy this time.

The California Legion had to compete against two of their biggest rivals in this game, the New England Free Jacks, and the rain. The last time the Legion played in the wet, they were thoroughly beaten by the Chicago Hounds, and the weather frustrated them again this week. The Free Jacks struck first through Sione Tupou at the back of their rolling maul, before a perfect crossfield kick from Coby Miln got the California Legion on the board through Corbin Smith before Miln added the extras to give the Legion their lone lead. The Free Jacks would strike from short range shortly after with Reuben Palmer recording his first MLR try, and the Legion would never be ahead again. The rain began to pick up which bogged the game down and although the Free Jacks conceded more penalties, the Legion conceded in critical areas and struggled with handling on top of that. A pair of yellow cards meant the Legion were on the defensive for a significant portion of the first half, and the Free Jacks would extend their lead with another Sione Tupou score right before the break.

The second half started with the Legion down 17-7 on the scoreboard, and down a man. A Joel Hodgson penalty just nudged the Free Jacks further out of reach, before another 10 minutes later took teh score to 23-7 with 20 to go. The rain hammered down and the Legion seemed far slower to adapt, with the Free Jacks happy to play a more close quarters, grinding game. A moment of magic from the Legion saw an outrageous offload from Ben Houston put Gonzalo Bertranou in to give the visitors some life, now within 9pts, but the boot of Hodgson would once again keep the Free Jacks ahead and another pair of yellow cards for the Legion saw their chances for a victory disappear. New England thought they had secured the win until a California team challenge gave the guests back possession (their 3rd successful challenge of the game), and Ben Houston would eventually cross for his 5th try of the season in the 84th minute to salvage a losing BP, but the New England Free Jacks win this must win affair, and improve to 2-4.

The California Legion remain second in the standings, now on an even 3-3 record and 18pts. They return home to prepare for next week’s clash with the Chicago Hounds. The Free Jacks will be getting some big reinforcements next week, and look to make it 2 wins in a row against their rivals Old Glory DC on the road.

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2026 – RD 6: Chicago Hounds v Old Glory DC

The Chicago Hounds host Old Glory DC at Seatgeek stadium during Round 6 of the 2026 MLR season in a Sunday Night Rugby marquee matchup that is a rematch of the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals

The Hounds enter this game leading Major League Rugby, and remain undefeated through the first 4 games of the season having defeated all other teams with the exception of Old Glory DC, their opponents today. The Flags hold a 2-2 record through their first two games and currently sit 4th in the table, having fallen to the California Legion in their home opener last week.

The visitors entered the doghouse ready to play. And went on the attack immediately. Mark O’Keeffe was deemed to have brought down a player early and was shown a yellow card within the first minute of the game, with Old Glory DC also being awarded a penalty try to take a 7-0 lead very early. The game went back and forth for roughly the first 20 minutes, with both sides trading tries to give fans a great show and the score reflected this. Old Glory led 14-21 at the first water break, scoring 3 tries to Chicago’s 2. However, a yellow card for a high hit by DC’s Cory Daniel gave the Chicago Hounds an opportunity to take control, and they took it with a flurry of scores. Theo Fourie crossed for his 2nd of the game, with Mason Flesch and Ollie Devoto also dotting down within a 10 minute span to give the Hounds a 33-21 lead at the half time break, much to the relief of the home fans.

The second frame started very differently from the first, with both the Hounds and Old Glory DC trading possession but unable to change the scoreboard. Eventually, DC found themselves in an advantageous position with a 4m lineout, and immediately after coming off the bench, KoiKoi Nelligan delivered the lineout well, the Flags set up the maul and rumbled over with Nelligan both starting and ending the play to bring Old Glory DC to within 7pts with plenty of time remaining. Unfortunately for the Flags, their discipline began to work against them. The Hounds got into the routine of earning a foothold in the DC half, earning a penalty, and punishing the visitors. The boot of Chris Hilsenbeck kept the Hounds just out of reach, inching away from DC with a pair of penalties taking them to 39-26. With 10 minutes remaining Jason Robertson bagged his 2nd of the game. Robertson’s conversion rang off the upright, and both he and DC felt that the Hounds charge down attempt was early and attempted to challenge, but as this was out of protocol, DC lost their challenge. This kept the Hounds over 1 score ahead, leading 39-31 before Hilsenbeck added a 3rd penalty to take them further out of reach, and with DC pushing for a 6th try to claim a losing bonus point, the Chicago Hounds pounced on a loose ball and Santiago Videla broke through to put the game to bed, converting his own score to take the score to 49-31 and secure a 5th straight win for Chicago.

Although the score looks slightly one sided, it’s fair to say that Old Glory DC gave the Chicago Hounds their biggest test of the season so far. They now fall to a 2-3 record and take a try BP back to DC for their efforts. The Hounds improve to 5-0, with a 5-game streak of The Old Mate and are half way to an undefeated regular season!

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2026 – Rd 6: New England Free Jacks v Seattle Seawolves

The New England Free Jacks host the Seattle Seawolves at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium during Round 6 of the 2026 MLR season, marking the first leg of the 2026 ‘Coffee Cup’ and ‘Multi-Shield Melee’!

Both sides enter this game with 1-3 records, with the Seattle Seawolves in 6th place, and the Free Jacks in 5th. The Seawolves have been hit hard by the injury bug and are on a 3 game skid following an enormous home defeat to the Chicago Hounds last week, conceding 59pts in total, the most ever by the team. The Free Jacks on the other hand, opened the season with a 3 game losing streak before starting to click and picked up their first win over Anthem RC at home last week.

The opening minutes of the game were very stop/start, which didn’t really allow either team to gather momentum. it took until just before the 15 minute mark for the opening points, which came from the hosts through a long floated pass from Oscar Lennon to Nathan Salmon on the wing, a stand-out on the Free Jacks so far in 2026. Joel Hodgson pushed the conversion wide so the hosts led by 5, but not for long. In almost a carbon copy of the Free Jacks’ try, Seattle openeing the scoring with a long floated pass oout to MIchael Hand, who finished in the corner. The Seawolves also couldn’t convert so the sides went into the first water break tied at 5-5. The stop/start that was present in the opening minutes of the game returned for the rest of the first half, despite a pair of deliberate fouls from New England putting them down to 14 men for significant time. The only changes on the scoreboard came from the boot of Joel Hodgson, who made up for his earlier miss with a pair of penalties to give the New England Free Jacks a 11-5 lead heading into the half.

The second half still opened with what seemed like an even contest, but it was the Seawolves who opened the scoring roughly 5 minutes in with a Divan Rossouw penalty, then got their first try of the half 5 minutes later as Paddy Ryan went over in the corner for his 3rd of the season. There was a question on the grounding of this try despite both the ref and AR being in great position to see and award the score. New England challenged but as there is no close angle of the corner in question, there was no definitive evidence to overturn the onfield desicion, and the try stood. This seemed to dent the Free Jacks’ morale, and the Seawolves started to gather momentum. Michael Hand crossed for his second of the afternoon about 8 minutes later despite chances for New England, but the Sea Wall held firm in defence. The Free Jacks would be unable to shift the scoreboard in their favour at all in the second half in fact, while Seattle slowly but surely pulled away, and secured the try bonus point at the death, with MLR Draftee Tiai Vavao spotting a gap in the line and darting through for his first pro try.

Of all people, Seattle Seawolves stalwart Riekert Hattingh stepped up to convert Vavao’s score, and the big man smashed it, becoming the first forward in MLR history to score a conversion, also reaching 250pts in his MLR career. The visiting Seawolves snap a 3-game skid and pick up their 2nd win of the season with a 11-27 victory. The Free Jacks fall to 1-4, and fail to pick up any bonus points this week. Despite a win last week, time is running out for the reigning champs.

 

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