SALT LAKE CITY (November 8, 2019) –Major League Rugby (MLR) has officially announced and confirmed that five of the 2020 regular season matches will be played in Las Vegas as part of the Major League Rugby Vegas Weekend.
The matches will kickoff on Sunday, February 9 with newcomers, the New England Free Jacks, taking on last year’s semi-finalists Rugby United New York in their inaugural MLR match. This will serve as a precursor to the official MLR Vegas Weekend, consisting of double-header matches on Saturday, February 15 and Sunday, February 16.
The award winning Las Vegas Ballpark will host all five matches. The new world-class stadium opened in April 2019 and in true Vegas style, it features a sideline pool for front row viewing.
“We know that Las Vegas and rugby go well together. We wanted to give our fans the opportunity to support their team on the road and take in a whole weekend of MLR action, all under the bright lights of Vegas. We can’t wait for February,” said MLR Commissioner, Dean Howes.
Previously the USA Sevens hosted an annual tournament in Las Vegas and the MLR Vegas Weekend is an opportunity to return to Las Vegas for professional rugby. Tickets for the matches can be purchased as single day (listed below) or multiple day packages; MLR has secured special rates for team and fan hotels to maximize the getaway.
The official MLR Vegas Weekend schedule is listed below, and the full MLR 2020 regular season schedule can be found here.
Sunday, February 9, 2020
New England Free Jacks vs Rugby United New York at 4:00 PM ET
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Utah Warriors vs New England Free Jacks at 2:30 PM ET
Rugby United New York vs Austin Herd at 6:30 PM ET
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Toronto Arrows vs Houston SaberCats at 2:30 PM ET
San Diego Legion vs Colorado Raptors at 6:00 PM ET
As the MLR continues the effort to grow rugby from the ground up, the weekend event will be in partnership with the Vegas Invitational Rugby Tournament, an annual rugby tournament for all ages and all levels with 7’s and 15’s brackets set to take place February 13 to 16. Participating teams in the tournament will receive tickets to MLR Vegas Weekend matches as a part of their package. For more information on the tournament, or to purchase tickets, visit the site here.
About Major League Rugby –
Major League Rugby is a professional rugby league that is entering its third season (2020) and represents the highest level of competition in North America. The league evolved from 7 teams in 2018 to 12 teams in 2020, featuring 11 from the United States and one from Canada distributed across an Eastern and Western Conference. The competition follows a league plus knockout format where teams play 16 regular season matches for a chance to advance to the playoffs. Matches are broadcast on CBS Sports Network, Facebook Live (for international viewers) and on different platforms in each local market. MLR prides itself on its incredible athletes, the passionate community behind them, and its strong values of Respect, Inclusivity, and Tradition.
Press Contact:
Alicia Richardson
