2026 MLR Draft
| 2026 MLR Draft | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Date | August 27, 2026 |
| Time | 6:00 PM EST |
| Overview | |
| League | Major League Rugby |
| Teams | 5 |
| First selection | Logan Ballinger, Old Glory DC |
The 2026 Major League Rugby Collegiate Draft was the seventh annual college draft for rugby union in North America, held on August 27, 2026.
Format
[edit]The 2026 MLR Collegiate Draft was held on August 27, 2026, and broadcast on Major League Rugby's YouTube channel.[1] The draft consisted of three rounds, with five teams participating following the dissolution of Anthem Rugby Carolina after World Rugby pulled its funding for the team.[2][3] Draft order is set by final standings from the 2026 Major League Rugby season. For the first time, teams had the ability to trade draft picks for this draft or future drafts.[4]
The New England Free Jacks forfeited their first-round pick due to an Anti-Tampering Policy violation.[5]
Player selection
[edit]| Round | Pick # | Team | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Old Glory DC | Logan Ballinger | Flanker | Life University |
| 2 | Seattle Seawolves | Solomon Williams | Scrum-half | California | |
| 3 | California Legion | Coby Baker | Center | Cal Poly | |
| 4 | Chicago Hounds | Hayden McKay | Hooker/Flanker | Mount St. Mary's University | |
| 2 | 5 | New England Free Jacks | Owen Clarke | Flanker | Brown |
| 6 | Old Glory DC | Mario Storti | Fullback | St. Mary's College of California | |
| 7 | Seattle Seawolves | David Cathcart | Winger | Lindenwood | |
| 8 | California Legion | Aaron van Dyk | Flanker | Arkansas State | |
| 9 | Chicago Hounds | Tyler White | Lock | St. Bonaventure | |
| 3 | 10 | New England Free Jacks | Cormac Saint | Scrum-half | California |
| 11 | Old Glory DC | Nathaniel Deegan | Hooker | St. Mary's College of California | |
| 12 | Seattle Seawolves | Tristan Hubsch | Lock | Life University | |
| 13 | New England Free Jacks | Will Lindsay | Fullback | University of Mary Washington | |
| 14 | Chicago Hounds | Fraser Leslie | Flanker | Walsh University |
Fourteen players were selected across three rounds, representing eleven universities. Life University, the University of California, Berkeley, and Saint Mary's College of California led all universities with two selections each.
References
[edit]- ↑ "Major League Rugby to Host Annual College Draft Show". www.majorleague.rugby. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
- ↑ "The Five-Team League: Anthem RC Demise Leaves MLR in Jeopardy". Americas Rugby News. 2026-07-31. Retrieved 2026-08-28.
- ↑ "World Rugby Apparently Ending Funding of Anthem RC | Goff Rugby Report". goffrugbyreport.com. 2026-08-23. Retrieved 2026-09-11.
- ↑ "Your 2026 MLR College Draft Order". Facebook. August 19, 2026.
- 1 2 "Major League Rugby Completes 2026 MLR College Draft". www.majorleague.rugby. Retrieved 2026-08-28.
- ↑ Major League Rugby (2026-08-27). 🚨 THE 2026 MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY COLLEGE DRAFT — LIVE 🚨. Retrieved 2026-09-11 – via YouTube.
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