We Need To Talk About USA Rugby... MLR Crisis Explained ft. James Deeley
04 October 2025

We Need To Talk About USA Rugby... MLR Crisis Explained ft. James Deeley

HG Rugby

About
We need to talk about USA rugby. World Rugby have revealed a plan to invest $250m into rugby in the USA leading up to the host the rugby world cup on 2031. The news comes at a time when Major League Rugby (MLR) is in crisis thanks to teams shutting down & rugby elsewhere on the American continent appears to have overtake the US. So, what's really happening here and what is the real problem?

In this podcast I was joined by MLR rugby fan and analyst James Deeley to truly understand what is going on in MLR, how it feeds into the struggles of the US men's Eagles and what needs to change to awake this sleeping giant.

We also manage to squeeze in a chat about the Women's Rugby World Cup, how women's rugby is doing in America and what we both love (and hate) about rugby statistics!

#usa #rugby #america #rugbyunion #majorleaguerugby #MLR #podcast #analysis #womensrugby #canada

Follow me on twitter: https://x.com/HuwGriffinRugby
Follow James on twitter: https://x.com/JamDelay

Chapters
0:00 USA & Canada Women's World Cup
7:00 Canada Men Review
12:35 USA Men Review
18:02 MLR Crisis
26:04 Did MLR Ever Work?
33:30 Thoughts on WER
34:55 Foreigners in MLR Debate
48:34 Join The URC?
51:28 Stats Nerds!
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