The 2026 Major League Rugby season is the ninth season of Major League Rugby, the professional rugby union competition sanctioned by USA Rugby. The regular season will begin on March 28, with the season being concluded on June 21 in the MLR Championship Final.
Major League Rugby 2026 — Complete Overview
- Season: 9th MLR season
- Start: Late March / early April 2026
- Teams: 6 (down from 11 in 2025)
- Format: Single-table league (no conferences)
- Regular season games: 10 per team
2026 Fixtures & Format (Full Details)
Regular Season
- Each team plays:
- 10 matches total
- Faces every other team:
- Home & Away (round-robin)
Example (from fixtures):
- Opening match:
- California Legion vs Anthem RC (March 28)
Typical weekly fixtures:
- 2–3 matches per round
- Runs for ~10–11 weeks
Week 3
| Date |
Match |
| 11 Apr 2026 |
New England Free Jacks vs Old Glory DC |
| 12 Apr 2026 |
Seattle Seawolves vs Anthem Rugby Carolina |
| 12 Apr 2026 |
Chicago Hounds vs California Legion |
Week 4
| Date |
Match |
| 18 Apr 2026 |
Old Glory DC vs Anthem Rugby Carolina |
| 19 Apr 2026 |
Chicago Hounds vs New England Free Jacks |
| 19 Apr 2026 |
Seattle Seawolves vs California Legion |
Week 5
| Date |
Match |
| 24 Apr 2026 |
Seattle Seawolves vs Chicago Hounds |
| 26 Apr 2026 |
New England Free Jacks vs Anthem Rugby Carolina |
| 26 Apr 2026 |
Old Glory DC vs California Legion |
Week 6
| Date |
Match |
| 3 May 2026 |
New England Free Jacks vs Seattle Seawolves |
| 3 May 2026 |
Chicago Hounds vs Old Glory DC |
Week 7
| Date |
Match |
| 9 May 2026 |
New England Free Jacks vs California Legion |
| 10 May 2026 |
Old Glory DC vs Seattle Seawolves |
| 10 May 2026 |
Chicago Hounds vs Anthem Rugby Carolina |
Week 8
| Date |
Match |
| 16 May 2026 |
California Legion vs Chicago Hounds |
| 17 May 2026 |
Seattle Seawolves vs New England Free Jacks |
| 17 May 2026 |
Old Glory DC vs Anthem Rugby Carolina |
Week 9
| Date |
Match |
| 23 May 2026 |
Anthem Rugby Carolina vs New England Free Jacks |
| 24 May 2026 |
Chicago Hounds vs Seattle Seawolves |
| 24 May 2026 |
California Legion vs Old Glory DC |
Week 10
| Date |
Match |
| 30 May 2026 |
Old Glory DC vs Chicago Hounds |
| 31 May 2026 |
Anthem Rugby Carolina vs California Legion |
| 31 May 2026 |
Seattle Seawolves vs New England Free Jacks |
Week 11
| Date |
Match |
| 7 Jun 2026 |
New England Free Jacks vs Chicago Hounds |
| 7 Jun 2026 |
California Legion vs Seattle Seawolves |
🏆 Playoffs
| Stage |
Date |
| Semi-finals |
June 2026 |
| Final |
21 June 2026 |
How to Watch MLR 2025 (Full Guide)
Primary Broadcast (Global Key Info)
- All matches streamed live on:
TV Coverage
- Selected matches aired on:
Replays & Highlights
- Available on:
- The Rugby Network (after delay)
