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The PRO Rugby saga continues. Having already terminated the contracts of all players in December, PRO owner Doug Schoninger has followed suit with the release of three coaches who had remained league employees until this week. As originally reported by the Rugby Wrap Up, Ray Egan from San Diego, Sacramento leader Luke Gross, and Denver boss Sean O’Leary are no longer under contract with PRO.
With no players and no coaching staff to call on, this would appear to be another nail in the coffin of the organization that has been marred in controversy since the end of the inaugural season. Schoninger has previously insisted that the league would go on despite cutting all personnel and continues to do so, but recently admitted on social media that the league’s future was in doubt.
“As far as moving forward, we are not in control of the decision. We were given assurances that must be honored before we can put any further capital at risk.”
Some players have now taken to social media to declare the league dead, while a huge number of others have moved on to new teams. More than half of the Denver Stampede squad that claimed the inaugural PRO title have now signed with the Glendale Raptors.
Should the league fail to hold a season in 2017 it could end PRO Rugby’s exclusive sanctioning agreement with USA Rugby, which would open the doors for other organizations. Regardless, it looks increasingly unlikely that USA Rugby will opt to renew the three-year agreement, with the official notice of termination due no later than 180 days prior (October 23, 2017) to the agreement’s end (April 21, 2018).
