Major League Rugby has endured a tough week with a merger and a withdrawal reducing the competition to nine teams, but the US men\u2019s professional rugby union competition could yet fall to just seven entrants if two more teams fail to raise new funds, the Guardian learned.<\/p>\n
The merger<\/a> of the San Diego Legion and RFC Los Angeles and the exit<\/a> of the NOLA Gold were announced on Wednesday.<\/p>\n As fans digested that news, multiple league sources told the Guardian the Utah Warriors (like San Diego and NOLA a founding team in 2018) and the Miami Sharks, an expansion team in 2024, were seeking new funding. Sources differed on the likelihood of funding being secured.<\/p>\n Kimball Kjar, a former US Eagles scrum-half now Utah chief executive, said: \u201cUtah Warriors are a founding member of Major League Rugby. We set out to build something special, and we\u2019re still committed to that vision of creating top-end professional rugby in North America.<\/p>\n \u201cWe still believe in that vision, and we\u2019re working aggressively to continue on with supporting our partners in Major League Rugby.\u201d<\/p>\n Describing a \u201chefty financial lift\u201d, Kjar said Utah\u2019s \u201cownership group has made it clear that they want to bring on additional partners and people that can continue to help accelerate and build and grow in the way that we intend to grow\u201d.<\/p>\n Milagros Cubelli, the Miami CEO, could not be reached for comment.<\/p>\n In the MLR season just completed, the Warriors and Sharks reached the play-offs<\/a> for the first time<\/a>. In the Championship Game, in Providence, Rhode Island, the New England Free Jacks beat the Houston SaberCats<\/a> for a third successive title.<\/p>\n Of the seven teams that kicked off MLR in 2018, only Houston, Utah and the twice-champion<\/a> Seattle Seawolves remain. San Diego, three times finalists, are now part of the California Legion.<\/p>\n Asked if MLR could continue if shrunk back to seven teams, Commissioner Nic Benson told the Guardian: \u201cI think so. If you have the right seven teams, a strong core, my answer today is yes.\u201d<\/p>\n Benson added: \u201cI think the reality of this is, this is hard. It\u2019s a labor of love and belief for a lot of people that we can build exceptional value in this sport. I still believe that, and I think a lot of the owners still believe that if we get this right, this is viable and will be good for the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n The MLR Players Association said<\/a> it was working with players affected by the closure and merger, \u201cto provide clarity on next steps and equitable solutions\u201d and to \u201censure that players are properly taken care of\u201d.<\/p>\n MLR is far from alone in facing financial headwinds: even in England, the Gallagher Premiership lost three teams in 2022-23 and now appears narrowly to have avoided reducing to nine entrants, a takeover<\/a> saving Newcastle.<\/p>\n News from MLR may nonetheless prompt concern at World Rugby, less than two weeks after it staged<\/a> an international doubleheader<\/a> in Washington DC, heralding concerted investment in the run-up to US World Cups in 2031 (men) and 2033 (women).<\/p>\n