And then there were six. Utah have become the latest team to crash out of Major League Rugby. The Warriors today confirmed that a deal to bring in new investment has fallen through, and they will not take part in the 2026 season. Their decision follows that of Miami, NOLA, and Houston, while San Diego merged with Los Angeles to form the California Legion.
It’s another blow to league operations, and to public confidence in the organization. MLR will now attempt to move forward with less teams than it started with, while at the same time shortening the season and pulling back on salaries. American rugby fans are now reeling after their national team suffered an historic defeat on the weekend and now their domestic league is in tatters.
On the face of it, the Warriors appeared to be one of the most stable outfits with strong home support. They were coming off their most successful regular season and returned to the playoffs for the first time in four years. Ex-All Blacks hooker Liam Coltman, Tongan dynamo Fetu’u Vainikolo, and now-retired Eagles stalwart Paul Lasike are among the notables who donned the black and red.
Utah’s departure leaves just one of the team’s founding seven remaining – the Seattle Seawolves. The revamped Legion are the only other west coast team, with Chicago in the midwest and New England, DC, and Charlotte on the east coast. It remains to be seen if the league’s recent move to reduce overseas and Canadian players in favor of more US-eligibles will improve financial viability.
