MLR Draft Deadline Extended
MLR Draft Deadline Extended
The deadline for applying for the 2025 Major League Rugby draft has been extended to August 13.
The old deadline was July 30.
The reason for the change is because the old deadline was set with an anticipated draft in early August. That draft is now slated for around August 21 or so (to be confirmed), so the deadline can be extended.
Currently on MLR's Draft Prospects page, 134 college student-athletes have declared for the draft.
Of those, the most common position is loose forward, with 34 players listing that as their #1 position. The smallest position group is flyhalf, with only seven (so far) players listing that as their primary position.
The position breakdowns are as follows: Loosehead prop: 11; Tighthead prop: 11; Hooker: 12; Lock: 10; Loose Forward: 34; Scrumhalf: 8; Flyhalf: 7; Center: 17; Wing: 15; Fullback: 10.
The most-represented college programs on the list are Life University and Lindenwood University, both with seven players. They are followed by Central Washington, Penn State, and Wheeling, all with five.
The MLR draft comes along at a time of flux with the professional league. LA and San Diego have merged to form one team. NOLA has folded for at least this coming season. There are rumors of at least one more team that is in jeopardy of not competing.
If that final domino falls, you'll be looking at a draft for eight teams, or 24 drafted spots, in a league in which there will also be somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 to 120 players looking for a new club. Although a significant number of those players might return to their home countries, not all will.
Being drafted isn't necessarily the point for collegiate players. What US and Canadian college players need to do is go through the draft process—register. If you are not drafted, you're now an undrafted free agent and are free to sign with whatever MLR team that will have you. Even if your plans are to play elsewhere (either in the USA or overseas), having gone through the draft allows you to sign with an MLR team much earlier than someone who hasn't gone through the draft process. That deadline is the end of the following MLR season.
So an undrafted free agent can go overseas in the fall and sign with an MLR team in January. A college grad who didn't declare for the draft can't sign until the following summer.
Draft Eligibility
To be draft eligible for this year you must have been enrolled in a US/Canadian University or College during the 2024-2025 academic year and be able to provide documentation (transcripts) as evidence of that. If you graduated in the fall of 2024 that's OK, you're eligible.
You must have competed in collegiate rugby competition during the 2024-2025 academic year and can prove it.
You must have completed three years of college or be at least 21 years old.
Of the 134 players who have declared so far, only 10 are juniors and one is a draft-eligible sophomore. The rest finished their senior year or a 5th or graduate year.
