NOLA Gold Won't Play in 2026 MLR
NOLA Gold Won't Play in 2026 MLR
Following on the heels of the announcement of a team merger of two teams in MLR, Major League Rugby's NOLA Gold will reduce the league's number of teams, at least for a season.
The franchise announced Wednesday that it will not field a team for the 2026 season.
Officially the plans are to potentially move forward after 2026, but that's a stretch.
Once a sports team says it's done for a year, it is enormously difficult to get back on the bike and start pedaling again.
What this and the LA-San Diego merger also does is make it tougher for younger players to break into teams. There will be perhaps 80 players now looking for a team to hook onto in a league that now has 400 to 500 roster spots. Add in a draft class hoping to find places and this will make it tougher for players to find a pro spot.
The statement from the team is quite short so there is no more detail, but logic dictates that finances are a major factor.
The teams in the league as a whole have spent a huge amount of money (by American rugby standards) on this league, but maybe not always in the right direction. They need fans in the seats to be financially viable. Fans in seats engender buzz; media at games that are well-attended get excited about the team, win or lose (although, preferably, win). Social media buzz is better from crowded stadiums. Cash flow is better, too, of course.
So marketing to get fans out has to be the chief goal of the teams involved, but it's not always clear that it is. Meanwhile, pressure to win forces team DORs and GMs to sign experienced players from overseas who might bring rugby nous and ability, but don't resonate with fans.
What would resonate with fans is to leverage local tribalism. Players like Old Glory DC's Jack Iscaro (Gonzaga HS) should be much more common. Players who have a connection to their hometown team through high school or college can engender a connection with the fans. NOLA did that with Will Waguespack (New Orleans Jesuit) so obviously it's not the only thing a team can do, but it's part of the solution.
MLR now has dropped to nine teams with the loss of NOLA for at least the 2026 season: New England, Chicago, Old Glory, Miami, Anthem (all in the East); Utah, Houston, Seattle, and California Legion (all in the West).
At least this lineup won't need a league realignment.