Major League Rugby revises Draft procedure

Major League Rugby has provided an update on the upcoming Collegiate Draft. Originally set to be at least four rounds over two days, the inaugural event will now be trimmed to just two rounds and will take place on Saturday, June 13. Interested players have until Sunday, May 17, to register.

Also confirmed by the league is the order for the expansion franchises. Dallas will have the first overall pick with Los Angeles the second. The two teams will join the league in 2021. Returning teams based in the USA will select in reverse finishing order, with Toronto the only team sitting out.

MLR 2020 DRAFT ORDER:
1 Dallas
2 Los Angeles
3 Houston SaberCats
4 Austin Gilgronis
5 Seattle Seawolves
6 New England Free Jacks
7 Utah Warriors
8 Rugby ATL
9 Rugby United New York
10 NOLA Gold
11 Old Glory DC
12 San Diego Legion

The rights to those selected will be held by the drafting team until up to one MLR season after the athlete’s final year of college eligibility. Players who have registered but are not selected in the draft are free to sign with any interested team. Full details of the draft and an FAQ can be seen here.