Major League Rugby, the US professional men’s rugby union competition, has announced that its new 12th team next year will be based in Chicago.
Last week, MLR said teams in Los Angeles and Austin would not play in 2023, the sixth season of competition, after being disqualified for alleged back-office misconduct just before the playoffs in 2022.
The league said then that a 12th team would be named.
Chicago has for some time been known to be in the running to host an MLR team. A consortium from St Louis is also known to have been considering entry.
On Wednesday, MLR released a short video trailing the Chicago team.
It said: “Rugby is a storied history, grit that won’t quit, fierce loyalty. Chicago is a city of history, a city of grit, a city of loyalty. Major League Rugby. Chicago 2023.”
Are you ready? pic.twitter.com/4mT0bcVab4
— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) November 2, 2022
MLR has said a dispersal draft will be held for players previously contracted to LA and Austin.
Sources around the US game have indicated that the players themselves, some on national duty with the US Eagles in Dubai ahead of the Rugby World Cup final qualification tournament which kicks off this weekend, have heard little about where they might play next year.
Los Angeles were MLR champions in 2021, their first season of two in the league. The Seattle Seawolves, champions in 2018 and 2019 (the 2020 season having been cancelled due to Covid), will compete in the six-team western conference next year.
Rugby New York were champions in 2022, beating Seattle in the championship game in New Jersey.
