Women’s RWC (round 1): 16 days (August 22nd) - USA vs England

Pacific Nations Cup (round 1): 31 days (September 6th) - USA vs Japan

West Coast Sevens (round 1): 52 days (September 27th)

We watched a South African schoolboys final over the weekend and it totally broke our frame for what’s possible for high school rugby.
It was a U19 game in a different country, but it may as well have been a different galaxy. The level of play was extraordinary, and the atmosphere was beyond words.

Some 25,000 fans gathered in Paarl to cheer on their team. Quite loudly.

The word that kept coming up during coach and player interviews: Tradition.

We’re nowhere near what South Africa has built with rugby, it’s a long ways off. But just seeing what’s possible should stir something in you.

Here’s the game. Enjoy.

It was a scorcher - reportedly 105 degrees - but the Beerfoot Beach 7s tournament went off without a hitch in Fort Myers and looked like an absolute blast! Sun, sand, tries, and (we assume) some adult bevvies.

Both Men’s and Women’s divisions were on display, and Rugby in Florida was there to cover all the action. Charlee Velazquez, who runs Rugby in Florida, has been doing a bang-up job spotlighting the sport in the Sunshine State—he’s well worth a follow if you aren’t already.

He recently interviewed Shane Young from Urban Rugby America, and it was a breath of fresh air. Shane shared his vision: “disrupting poverty and creating opportunities” for public school kids, and using rugby as a vehicle for that transformation. Love it.
📺You can catch the full interview here. Keep it up, Charlee and Shane!

Confirmed: NOLA Gold is folding
Also confirmed: SD Legion and RFCLA are merging

There’s a growing sense of desperation on social media with all the recent MLR news. Add in rumors that another club or two may be in trouble, and we’re bordering on full-blown panic mode.

Mr. Goff recently posted a video where he made some good points about how leagues like the NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB went through serious turbulence before finding their footing. He even reached back to the 1800s (cue the 1899 Spiders) for examples of chaos before stability.

The leagues we love today had to weather the Great Depression, world wars, and plenty more—and still managed to survive and thrive. Maybe the MLR is simply another chapter in the long, messy saga of building a pro sports league in America. Patience and empathy might be part of our job as rugby fans.

That’s the glass-half-full (if you squint) approach.

The U.S. rugby scene is facing an 800-pound gorilla named the Rugby World Cup 2031. Many see this as the potential turning point for the USA: the moment rugby explodes stateside. That puts enormous pressure on USA Rugby and the MLR to not screw this up.

With the MLR shrinking (and abandoning fanbases and players) it’s hard to feel confident we’re on track for 2031. There’s even the possibility that World Rugby pulls the rug out and gives the hosting duties to another, less complicated country.

So there’s the dilemma: Building a professional sports league takes decades. But the countdown to 2031 doesn’t leave a lot of room for patience.

Is it fair to saddle the MLR with that kind of pressure? Probably not. It’s not even in the awkward teenager growth phase…it’s still a toddler.

🏉Riot Take: Instead of looking at the MLR as the workhorse for an American rugby renaissance, why don’t we look at what’s actually working—the youth and HS programs around the country that have shown a knack for stability? Look to the Mustangs, the Cardinals, Rookie Rugby Cleveland, Okapi, Woodlands, Belmont Shore, the KC Blues, and several others.

They’ve all figured out how to field competitive teams without going bankrupt. Why don’t we bring those operators and coaches to the table? The 2031 Eagles are likely going to be heavily populated by these clubs anyway. Why don’t we build on what they’ve already built and develop a grassroots pathway for our national squad?

What could that look like? Perhaps these clubs launch U23 squads. Or maybe the MLR Academy teams align with these clubs to form a true U23 league.

Or maybe something different. Point being, I’d rather see energy and funds poured into places where it’s working rather than wring my hands at the MLR’s struggles.

Let the MLR figure itself out. It may take some time.

Do you have thoughts about the MLR situation?
Drop us a line: [email protected]

We may add more next week—there were a lot of “whoa” moments—but these two stood out as we reviewed the 2025 season.

South Meck (NC) vs Hough (NC) — game ending, NC semifinal
February 7, 2025

This one was dope.

Down 3 points with the clock at zeroes, South Meck pulled off the improbable upset. One of the wildest finishes we saw all year.

The background: Hough were the reigning state champs. In their first meeting of the season, Hough beat South Meck 34-14 —so this was a rematch and the state semifinal.

The play: With the clock in negative time, South Meck spun it wide to Jackson Wilson, who streaked down the sideline. A Hough defender nailed him just short of the try zone—but Wilson somehow kept the ball alive through contact. Then Quinn Miller, the big South Meck forward, scooped it up and barreled in for the game-winner. Pandemonium on the sideline.

South Meck carried that momentum straight into the NC state final, where they fairly pummeled Charlotte Catholic and took the crown.

Here’s that moment 👇

Charlotte Cardinals (NC) vs Belmont Shore (CA) — Nationals Semifinal
May 23, 2025

No one who was there will forget this game. Just a total battle of brawn and willpower. Belmont Shore had a stable of bruisers, the Cardinals were pushed to their absolute limit—and squeaked by with a penalty-kick shootout.

It was likely the most physical game of the entire season. That’s not hyperbole—both teams had massive, athletic squads that just beat the hell out of each other. Not to mention, the game lasted almost 5 hours due to injury time-outs. Ok, that was an exaggeration—it was a long game.

After trading body blows for well over an hour, the game was tied up at 10 apiece.

So it came down to kicks.

The Cardinals were clinical, slotting all three of their attempts. Belmont couldn’t find the posts.

Final Score: Cardinals 13 — 10 Belmont

Brutal way to end the game. But it definitely made us go “whoa”.

📸 Here’s a photo, right after Porter Kuebler nailed the game winner 👇