Major League Rugby launched in US

Which teams are you referring to as based far from where theyre named?

I dont think they need many more canadian teams and if they are to add teams it would be east coast not BC for the moment

Some of my more in the know rugby pals here are more excited by Super Rugby Americas than by the MLR, only 1 US team but the potential is higher.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Rugby_Americas

You could see another team joining from the US if it's successful. I think the potential is for it to be a viable competition business wise, basically a touring system where teams play round robin style tournament which keeps costs down and can concentrate crowds more successfully. The MLR has performed poorly so far, maybe it will build but the franchise system means these teams live or die by results in the relatively short term. It's not a great model to build the game at the grassroots level, or even to build a fan base. Bringing in washed up pros from other leagues at the end of their careers or young cast offs might work in soccer where the likes of Beks or Messi have massive profiles and generate their own weather, but rugby is nowhere near that level here.

I don't disagree but Im not optimistic for the MLR and even if it succeeds the model is not one that will produce grassroots growth. At best it will become a niche spectacle like 7s which draws crowds in Vegas and LA but leaves nothing behind when the circus moves on. With the pan America approach it's possible to build a coherent culture associated with college teams and build a feeder system, while generating a game with international potential that could create a system for test competition long term.

The MLR system is a little like the reason rugby went pro in the first place, the World Rugby Corporation were enticing players with pro contracts and threatening to build an international game beyond the control of the IRB. Now private franchises are dominating the game in the US and Rugby USA has relatively little power. It's disastrous for the grassroots game and really not very good for the national team. I guess it matters because World Rugby in genius mode has granted the US the World Cup in 8 years but outsourced the game's growth to capitalism. What could possibly go wrong.