The new that the Dallas Jackals have pulled out of the 2021 Major League Rugby season just two months ahead of its intended kickoff came without warning. Little explanation has been offered. While there is room to speculate on reasons beyond simply the pandemic, the most pressing issue at the …
Read More »2021 New Beginnings in Americas rugby and beyond
Not only will 2021 represent new beginnings in Americas rugby, it will showcase it. The year will be markedly different to 2020 as it will to earlier years. Six such instances are presented below. Major League Rugby 2021 will be the fourth year of Major League Rugby. It will …
Read More »RWC 2023 Pools: Best, Worst and Fairest Match Order
Match order is fundamental in sport. Some teams can be eliminated early based on how their matches are distributed. This issue has occurred repeatedly at RWCs. There are a number of reasons for this, none more so than organizers positioning key pool matches at certain points of the pool phase. …
Read More »RWC 2023 Draw: Best, Worst and Fairest Scenarios
The draw for RWC 2019 is just days away. The draw will take place on December 14 in Paris. World Rugby determined that 2020 rankings will not be considered. Instead, the official rankings from the start of 2020 have been implemented to seed the participants. The decision means that no …
Read More »Kanaloa Hawai’i falls short in MLR bid
Kanaloa Rugby will not be bringing Major League Rugby to Hawai’i in 2021. The league issued a formal statement on Friday afternoon confirming that the three-month negotiating period had expired without an agreement. MLR will proceed with 13 teams next season. While the league did not specify why no agreement …
Read More »Restoring A Canadian Classic – The East vs West Match
In just a few hours New Zealand will revive an old tradition – the North vs South Island trial match. Similar ideas are not uncommon in rugby, one example being the ‘Probables vs Possibles’ contest held by Wales as recently as 2014. England, Ireland, and Australia have all held such …
Read More »Eagles could benefit from Eligibility Extension
A recent decision from the World Rugby Executive Committee to extend the Regulation 8 amendment regarding residency qualification by one year has not come without criticism. The new five-year requirement was to come into effect on January 1, 2021, but has now been pushed to 2022. That it was made …
Read More »Ledesma and Pumas need a warm-up match vs Uruguay
Mario Ledesma and Los Pumas need a warm-up match vs Uruguay. This is obviously an opinion; it is one based on three differing factors: (a) game-time; (b) a cost-effective location; and (c) appropriate facilities. The suggestion is for Argentina to play away to Uruguay in Montevideo prior to flying to …
Read More »MLR opens door for Hawaiian team in 2021
Major League Rugby has confirmed that a team from Hawai’i is being considered as a potential 14th team for the 2021 season. Kanaloa Hawai’i has reached the first stage of admission to full membership, and has now been granted a 90-day negotiating period to reach expansion targets and secure board …
Read More »North-South row throws RWC Qualifying, ARC into disarray
World Rugby has been forced to backtrack on their Rugby World Cup Qualifying process just a day after confirming the path to France 2023. Originally set to be determined in the Americas Rugby Championship, the Americas path is now in disarray with North and South America on course to split …
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