Major League Rugby to kick off fourth season in March 2021 with 13 teams

TORONTO — Major League Rugby will kick off its fourth season on March 20, 2021.

The 18-week regular season will features 13 teams including the Toronto Arrows, who joined in 2019.

The championship game is scheduled for Aug. 1 after two weeks of Eastern and Western Conference final play.

The North American league cancelled the remainder of the 2020 season on March 19, citing the global pandemic. Toronto (4-1-0) was second in the standings at the time.

“We are looking forward to Major League Rugby’s fourth season being a powerful return for professional rugby in North America,” MLR commissioner George Killebrew said in a statement.

“We’re confident that this season is going to be groundbreaking for MLR with the expansion to 13 teams and plans to ramp up the fan experience like never before. March 20 is going to be a great day when Major League Rugby returns.”

The 2021 season will see the addition of teams in Dallas and Los Angeles, with the Colorado Raptors announcing in April that they were withdrawing from the league.

The league said clubs will open training camp on Feb. 15.

With the season kicking off almost six weeks later in 2021, the Arrows will likely face a shorter road trip to start their campaign than normal. The Toronto team has yet to announce its dates but says that will come soon, with the club talking to three venues about hosting games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2020.

The Canadian Press