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The Dallas Jackals are out of Major League Rugby. A league announcement on Thursday confirmed that the team will not take part in the 2025 season. It comes after months of rumors and three tumultuous campaigns for the organization, who never seemed to find solid ground.
Sources indicate a key investor pulled out earlier this year, and a replacement could not be found in time to meet financial deadlines. The league statement says that a new ‘controlling interest transfer’ remains under evaluation, but to date no team that has withdrawn from the league has made a return. Los Angeles got a new team this past season though it was a relocation from Atlanta, and not the same organization as the one disbanded after the 2022 season.
Dallas were part of the initial group of cities that committed to starting MLR in 2018, but they dropped out before the inaugural campaign. A second false-start came in 2021 when the new organization opted to delay their entry by a year despite having already signed a full squad of players.
Another setback came in the fall of 2020 when a proposed deal to build a 3,500 seat facility at Reverchon Park near downtown Dallas fell through. The team eventually settled on Choctaw Stadium (formerly Globe Life Park) in Arlington, a location that proved unpopular with local support.
Executive changes along the way exacerbated the team’s problems, and their intended Head Coach for the 2022 campaign pulled out at the 11th hour due to visa difficulties. The team was forced to scramble with GM Elaine Vassie stepping in. A horde of injuries – including several suffered during an off-field incident – contributed to a winless opening campaign.
The Jackals continued to struggle in 2023 with just two wins, but showed some promise towards the end of the campaign. This past year saw the team reaching the postseason for the first time and producing one of the great upsets it league history when they beat the regular season leading Houston SaberCats in the Quarter Final.
It’s unclear at this stage how players who remain under contract will be dispersed. The MLR Players Association says they are now in discussions with the league to find an equitable solution. Numerous players will be of interest to other teams, not least Eagles forward Sam Golla and MLR’s 2024 Forward of the Year Jerónimo Gómez Vara. Coaching duo Agustín Cavalieri and Nate Osborne are also suddenly without a team. Meanwhile second row Lucas Bur has already signed on with an Italian club.
This is the fifth team to withdraw from MLR since the end of the 2022 campaign. Austin and LA were dropped after a disagreement with owner Adam Gilchrist, and both New York and Toronto failed to return in 2024. Atlanta was relocated to Los Angeles ahead of this season. Meanwhile new teams have emerged in Chicago, Miami, and Charlotte.
At this stage there is no indication that another team will take Dallas’ place for 2025. Should 11 teams be the final count for 2025, it would not be the first time MLR has contracted. There were 13 teams competing in 2022, with the league dropping to 12 the following year.
