Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
New homes in Chicago and Miami were the talk of 2023, and the seventh season of Major League Rugby will welcome four new venues. Two of those are for entirely new teams, one team has crossed a river, and another has moved to the opposite coast entirely.
American Legion Memorial Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
| MLR DEBUT | CAPACITY | SURFACE |
| March 3, 2024 | 10,500 | Artificial Turf |
MLR’s newest team will have an ideal venue to call home. A full reconstruction of the stadium was completed in 2021, with a FIFA-certified pitch installed. Charlotte was home to both the USA Hawks program last spring and the men’s u23 high performance camp in the fall.
SeatGeek Stadium
Bridgeview, Illinois
| MLR DEBUT | CAPACITY | SURFACE |
| March 5, 2023 | 20,000 | Kentucky Bluegrass |
It was a fine first season for the popular venue with a pristine pitch, but the weather in the Windy City didn’t always cooperate. On the upper end of the scale in terms of capacity, over 10,000 were in attendance to watch the neutral-venue Championship Final between New England and San Diego.
Choctaw Stadium
Arlington, Texas
| MLR DEBUT | CAPACITY | SURFACE |
| February 9, 2022 | 4,860 | Tifway 419 Bermuda Grass |
A promising start to its MLR life has been marred by horrific field lines thanks to other tenants. That makes it arguably the league’s worst pitch on screen, with even the players finding it difficult to navigate the touchlines. The stadium has a capacity of 40,000 but only a small section is open on game days.
SaberCats Stadium
Houston, Texas
| MLR DEBUT | CAPACITY | SURFACE |
| April 13, 2019 | 4,000 | Natural Grass |
The only purpose-built and team-owned facility in MLR is also one of its best venues. It currently has a modest capacity but there is plenty of room for expansion in the future. Night games see the stands darkened and the field illuminated with bright light, making for a truly unique atmosphere.
AutoNation Field
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
| MLR DEBUT | CAPACITY | SURFACE |
| March 3, 2024 | 5,000 | Artificial Turf |
The Sharks will share training facilities with Inter Miami and play home matches on site. Immediately adjacent to the field is the 19,100 capacity DRV PNK Stadium, which could serve as a playoff venue down the road. Extra seating is being installed that will expand capacity from 1,500 to around 5,000.
Veterans Memorial Stadium
Quincy, Massachusetts
| MLR DEBUT | CAPACITY | SURFACE |
| July 18, 2021 | 5,000 | FieldTurf |
An older facility located about 10 miles from downtown Boston, ‘Fort Quincy’ has become one of the most difficult venues for visiting teams to find success. New England’s die-hard fans pour in rain-or-shine and enjoy the festive activities before and after the game, creating a cauldron-like atmosphere during. While there are now proper rugby lines painted on game days, the turf pitch is in need of an upgrade.
The Gold Mine
New Orleans, Louisiana
| MLR DEBUT | CAPACITY | SURFACE |
| February 8, 2020 | 10,000 | Natural Grass |
Some call it The Shrine On Airline, other know it by its original name Zephyr Field. Formerly a baseball facility, the Gold are now the only tenant and have reconfigured its surface. It’s an awkward-looking space but there is hope for the future with $15 million recently committed by Jefferson Parish Council to fully renovating the facility though it is currently still in the initial design phase.
Maryland SoccerPlex
Germantown, Maryland
| MLR DEBUT | CAPACITY | SURFACE |
| March 16, 2024 | 3,200 | Bermuda Grass |
Old Glory have headed across the Potomac to a new home for this season. While it’s debatable whether the location of SoccerPlex in relation to DC proper is an improvement on Segra Field, the irrigated pitch with actual rugby lines is a significant upgrade. More recently team ownership says their intention is to construct their own facility inside the Beltway with more news on those plans expected later this year.
Dignity Health Sports Park
Carson, California
| MLR DEBUT | CAPACITY | SURFACE |
| March 3, 2024 | 27,000 | Bandera Bermuda Grass |
DHS Park is no stranger to rugby, and it will see plenty of it on March 3rd. The team formerly known as ATL will make its new home debut immediately following the conclusion of the World Sevens Series event. With luck that will mean a large crowd in place to see LA hosting the Dallas Jackals.
Snapdragon Stadium
San Diego, California
| MLR DEBUT | CAPACITY | SURFACE |
| February 28, 2023 | 35,000 | Natural Grass |
Over 11,000 fans showed up for the Legion’s home opener this past season, in doing so setting a new league attendance record. Despite that counting for note even a third of its maximum capacity, the vocal supporters made Snapdragon a thoroughly enjoyable venue in its debut season. New Zealand will take on Fiji in a neutral test at this venue in July and while not formally confirmed by the league yet, all indications are that the 2024 Final will take place in San Diego on August 3rd.
Starfire Stadium
Tukwila, Washington
| MLR DEBUT | CAPACITY | SURFACE |
| April 22, 2018 | 4,500 | FieldTurf |
One of MLR’s original venues, Starfire is typically packed on game days and its narrower pitch makes for a unique challenge to the opposition. While it’s certainly nostalgic, team ownership has made no secret that they are looking at other options in the future. A $120 million rebuild of Memorial Stadium in downtown Seattle was recently approved by City Council, though it’s unlikely to be completed until 2027.
Zions Bank Stadium
Herriman, Utah
| MLR DEBUT | CAPACITY | SURFACE |
| May 5, 2018 | 5,000 | GreenFields MX Trimension |
Few venues can compare with Utah’s stunning mountain vistas, and certainly none in MLR. Along with Starfire, Zions Bank is the second original venue still in operation. The surface is a newer generation artificial turf that was installed by the same company that upgraded Uruguay’s Estadio Charrúa.
