Rugby in America

Pro Rugby in the USA: Leagues, Teams and How to Watch in 2026–27

Major League Rugby is down to five teams, Women's Elite Rugby just crowned back-to-back champions, and the Eagles open their World Cup in Melbourne next October. Here's where pro rugby in America stands, how to watch it, and where the APR Games fits in.

Pro rugby in the USA is at a turning point. The men's professional league, Major League Rugby, has shrunk to five teams heading into its ninth season. The women's league, Women's Elite Rugby, has just finished a second season with a repeat champion. The USA Eagles are preparing for a Rugby World Cup in Australia, the 2031 men's and 2033 women's World Cups are coming to America, and rugby sevens returns to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

If you're an American rugby fan or player trying to make sense of it all, this guide pulls it together: every pro league and team operating right now, how and where to watch them, the big dates for the 2026–27 season, and our honest take on what comes next. We'll also explain where the APR Games 2027, our 10s tournament in Las Vegas on Memorial Day Weekend, fits into the picture.

The State of Pro Rugby in the USA, October 2026

American rugby has two stories running at the same time, and they point in different directions.

The first story is about the professional club game, and it's a hard one. Major League Rugby launched in 2018 with seven teams and grew to more than a dozen teams at its peak. Since then it has lost franchise after franchise. Before the 2026 season, Houston, Utah, Miami and New Orleans all folded and the two Southern California teams merged into the California Legion. Then, in the summer of 2026, Anthem Rugby Carolina ceased operations after World Rugby's funding agreement for the club ended. The league goes into 2027 with five teams.

The second story is about the sport underneath the pro game, and it's far more positive. USA Rugby counts close to 98,000 registered members. Youth and high school registrations passed 50,000 in 2024, up about 12% on the year before, and more than 1,000 colleges field teams. Viewership is rising too: MLR reported that per-game national TV and streaming audiences grew strongly in 2026, and the women's league has had two complete seasons with a free global stream.

APR's view: the American rugby problem has never been a lack of players or fans. It's been a lack of sustainable, affordable professional structures that connect those players and fans to high-level games. That's the gap leagues, clubs and events like ours are all trying to close, in different ways.

Major League Rugby: The Men's Pro League

Major League Rugby is the only men's professional 15-a-side rugby union competition in the United States. The 2026 season ran through the spring, with the Chicago Hounds finishing a perfect 10–0 regular season and then beating the California Legion 35–17 in the final at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, for their first title.

MLR teams for 2027

On October 9, 2026, MLR and ESPN announced a one-season extension of their broadcast partnership through 2027. Under the deal, ESPN keeps every league match across its networks and digital platforms: five fixtures air on ESPN's linear channels, and the primetime Sunday Night Rugby package streams exclusively on the ESPN App. The same announcement cited Comscore data showing viewership up 25% year over year on ESPN2 and 35% for streamed games, and said league officials are targeting a return to a twelve-city footprint before the 2031 Rugby World Cup.

What Anthem RC's exit means

Anthem RC was a different kind of club. It was set up with joint funding from World Rugby, USA Rugby and MLR to develop American-eligible players for the Eagles. When that agreement ended after the 2026 season, the team released its whole roster. Reporting at the time noted that most groups planning new MLR franchises are aiming at 2028 rather than 2027, so a sixth team for next season would depend on talks that hadn't been made public.

APR's take: a five-team league is fragile, but it is also cheaper to run, and a longer ESPN deal plus rising audiences gives MLR something to build on. The player-pool problem is the bigger worry. Every franchise that folds means fewer paid roster spots for American players, which is why player-first events and strong amateur clubs matter more than ever.

Women's Elite Rugby: The Women's Pro League

Women's Elite Rugby (WER) was created by the leadership of the Women's Premier League as the next step in professionalizing the women's game in the United States. It was unveiled in April 2024 and played its first season in 2025.

The Denver Onyx made it back-to-back titles on August 8, 2026, beating the Bay Breakers 24–17 at Infinity Park in Glendale. Each team plays a double round robin, and WER matches have been streamed worldwide for free on DAZN. The league has said it wants to grow to eight or more teams within its first ten seasons.

The timing could hardly be better. The USA Women's Eagles compete with the world's best, the 2033 Women's Rugby World Cup is coming to the United States, and women's sevens returns to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. A stable domestic league is how those big moments turn into lasting growth. At the APR Games, our Women's Social division carries a $5,000 prize pool, because women's rugby in America deserves real stakes at every level.

Rugby Sevens: SVNS in New York and the Road to LA 2028

Sevens is where American rugby has had its biggest global moments, and it's the format Americans will see most on the road to the Los Angeles Olympics.

World Rugby has confirmed the 2026–27 HSBC SVNS Series. The only US stop is New York, March 13–14, 2027, at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. The full regular season runs Dubai (November 28–29), Cape Town (December 5–6), Singapore (January 30–31), Perth (February 6–7), Vancouver (March 6–7) and New York, followed by the World Championship rounds in Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux.

At the LA 2028 Olympics, rugby sevens will be played at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, with the women's competition first and the men's tournament after it in mid-July 2028. A home Olympics is the single biggest exposure opportunity American rugby has had in decades.

The USA Eagles and Rugby World Cup 2027

The USA men qualified for Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia and were drawn in Pool E with France, Japan and Samoa. It's a tough group, but a winnable game or two would be a huge boost for the sport at home, especially four years before America hosts the 2031 tournament.

Australia is many hours ahead of the US mainland, so many of these games will land in the early morning or overnight for American viewers. Plan for replays if you can't stay up.

How to Watch Rugby in the USA

Watching rugby in America used to mean hunting for streams. Today almost everything major is available legally, though spread across several services. Here's where to find each competition for the 2026–27 season.

The most important deal for American fans is World Rugby's agreement with CBS Sports, announced in May 2025, which makes CBS and Paramount+ the US home of all men's and women's World Rugby events through 2029. That covers the 2027 men's Rugby World Cup, the 2029 women's tournament, all USA national team matches, and competitions such as the SVNS series, the Pacific Nations Cup and the U20 Championship.

Tips for watching rugby in America

• Find a rugby bar. Most big US cities have at least one pub that opens early for international games. Your local club will know where it is.
• Watch with a club. Many American clubs host watch parties for Eagles games and finals. It's the easiest way into the community.
• Check the clock. European games often land in the US morning; Australian and New Zealand games overnight.
• Go live when you can. The New York Sevens, MLR and WER games, and Las Vegas rugby events are the best way to see the sport at its loudest.

Rugby in Las Vegas: From the USA Sevens to the APR Games

Las Vegas has a bigger place in American rugby history than many fans realize. The USA Sevens was played in Las Vegas from 2010 to 2019, mostly at Sam Boyd Stadium, and drew a record crowd of 80,691 in 2017. The tournament later moved east and is now played in the New York area.

Rugby league has also found a home in the desert. The NRL has opened its season in Las Vegas each year from 2024 to 2026, and Rugby League Las Vegas 2027 is set for February 27, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium, with Melbourne Storm v Wests Tigers, Parramatta Eels v Gold Coast Titans, and England's Bradford Bulls and Leigh Leopards also on the card.

Three months later, the APR Games brings rugby union back to the city. We've written about why Las Vegas is the perfect home for pro rugby in America: the airport connections, the hotel capacity, the event culture and evening kickoffs when the desert heat drops. Rugby works in Vegas because Vegas knows how to put on a show.

Where the APR Games Fits in American Pro Rugby

The APR Games is not a league, and it isn't trying to replace one. It's a player-first tournament designed to give American players something the current system rarely offers: high-stakes rugby with real prize money, at a price an amateur or semi-pro player can afford.

• Format: 10s rugby, ten players a side, two 20-minute halves (40-minute games). Youth plays age-appropriate formats.
• Dates: Memorial Day Weekend, May 29–31, 2027, with evening kickoffs under floodlights in Las Vegas.
• Prize money: $15,000 total. Men's Elite $10,000 ($6,000 / $3,000 / $1,000) and Women's Social $5,000 ($3,000 / $1,500 / $500). Youth teams play for medals and trophies with no entry fee.
• Player entry: $299, including an official APR Games team jersey, full kit bag, at least three guaranteed pool games, opening-night access and a player profile on americanprorugby.com.
• Teams: five founding Las Vegas franchises (Vegas Kings, Vegas Knights, Vegas Blackjacks, Downtown Rugby and Vegas Lions) plus one mystery invitational team. Meet the teams.
• Coaching Clinic: May 28–31, 2027, for players and coaches who want to learn from international coaches. See the clinic.

When MLR roster spots are scarce, a player released by a folding club, a college graduate who wants to keep competing, or a club veteran chasing one more big weekend all need somewhere to play meaningful rugby. Tens is ideal for that: smaller squads are easier to assemble and travel, and every player gets real minutes on the ball.

How American Players Reach the Pro Level

There's no single pathway into professional rugby in the US, but the routes most players take look like this:

1. Youth and high school rugby. With more than 50,000 youth and high school players registered, this is where most American players now start.
2. College rugby. More than 1,000 colleges field teams, from varsity programs to student-run clubs. Many MLR and Eagles players came through college rugby.
3. Senior club rugby. USA Rugby's club competitions are where scouts and coaches watch for late developers and players who switch from other sports. If you're new, start with our guide to how to start playing rugby as an adult.
4. Sevens and tens tournaments. Short-format events put players in front of a lot of coaches in one weekend and reward fitness, skill and decision-making.
5. Pro and national team selection. MLR and WER rosters, the Eagles sevens and fifteens programs, and overseas contracts for the very best.

Fitness, skill and visibility are what move a player up that ladder. Fuel and recovery matter too; for athlete nutrition, check out APR partner Clann13.

The 2026–27 American Rugby Calendar

Save these dates. They're the moments that matter most for American fans and players over the next twelve months.

For tournament updates, follow the APR news page, sign up for the APR newsletter, and gear up from the APR shop.

What Comes Next for Pro Rugby in America

The next five years will decide whether American pro rugby finally becomes sustainable. Three things will matter most.

1. Turning hosting rights into a lasting legacy

The 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups and the 2028 Olympics are a once-in-a-generation window. The test is whether clubs, leagues and schools are ready to capture the new fans and players those events create.

2. Business models that last

The MLR franchises that folded didn't fail because Americans don't like rugby. They failed because costs ran ahead of revenue. Smaller leagues, shared resources and events with clear economics are more likely to survive the build-up to 2031.

3. More meaningful games for American players

The US has tens of thousands of capable rugby players and far fewer pro roster spots. Every competition that gives them a real stage, whether it's a league, a national championship or a tournament like the APR Games, helps keep talent in the sport.

Planning your trip to Las Vegas for the Games? Luna Appleton has guides to where to stay, eat and celebrate after the final.

Frequently Asked Questions

Keep Reading

Sources

• Ministry of Sport: Major League Rugby extends ESPN broadcast partnership through 2027 season
• 2026 Major League Rugby season
• USA Rugby News: World Rugby funding cut causes Anthem RC to fold
• Women's Elite Rugby
• Amsterdam News: Denver Onyx claim Women's Elite Rugby championships
• World Rugby: Rights agreement with CBS Sports through 2029
• World Rugby: HSBC SVNS Series 2027 schedule confirmed
• Americas Rugby News: USA Eagles RWC 2027 schedule
• NRL: Teams launched for Rugby League Las Vegas 2027
• Rugby World: How to watch PREM Rugby 2026/27

League, broadcast and schedule details are current as of October 2026 and may change; check each competition's official channels before you plan. APR Games details are current as of publication. Full APR Games rules, squad sizes and eligibility will be confirmed with player registration. Follow the APR newsletter for updates.