Major League Rugby heading for a photo finish

There’s only one week remaining in Major League Rugby before the finals series kicks off and the competition is still anyone’s game.

MLR is the premier professional rugby competition in the USA and is now well into its second year.

Last year’s competition was contested by eight teams from across the United States. The Seattle Seawolves (a team which Super Rugby heavyweights, the Crusaders, own a minority share in) emerged victorious at the end of the tournament. They contested the final against the Glendale Raptors – the league’s minor premiers.

2019 has seen the inclusion of two new teams: Rugby United New York and the Toronto Arrows, Canada’s first entry into the competition. Three more East Coast teams are also on track to join the competition next year, which will give rise to a conference system.

Whilst a few teams have struggled at times throughout the season (the two Texas-based sides have amassed only 8 victories over the two years of competition to date), the top end of the table has been exceptionally competitive in 2019.

Heading into the final round, the Toronto Arrows, Rugby United New York, the Seattle Seawolves and New Orleans Gold are all vying for three positions in the knockout rounds of the tournament and sit flush on 53 competition points. San Diego Legion have already confirmed their place in the finals with 57 points to their name.

To add to the drama, Toronto host RUNY this weekend. That match will likely see one team knocked out of the playoffs a week early. Other fixtures see the Utah Warriors host the Houston SaberCats, San Diego at home to NOLA Gold and the Austin Elite travelling to Seattle.