The Old Mate is a hot potato.
36% of holders lose it immediately, and most teams don’t survive more than a couple of defenses.
If you’ve got it, it probably won’t be yours for long. We’ll be watching California Legion! #MLR2026
Congrats to Legion for winning the Old Mate from the Free Jacks. The Old Mate is next up for challenge by Chicago Hounds next week! The Hounds previously held it for a streak of 5 matches in 2025 winning in week 3 from the Free Jacks https://oldmate.rugby
Eight clubs claimed the Old Mate on their very 1st challenge, and 3 more got there on their 2nd try.
But not everyone had an easy path: Old Glory needed four shots, Chicago needed 6, and Houston had to wait 7 challenge matches before finally getting their hands on it. California Legion has an opportunity to join the 1st attempt club.
The MLR Supporters Challenge Cup has already produced:
- 124 completed title matches
- 14 teams to win it at least once
- 47 separate reigns
- 2 current teams still waiting for their first hold
San Diego, Seattle, and New England are the big three of this hidden history. Match number 125 coming up!
In addition to Ranger Picks I also play @TheFantasyRuckers and their Weekly Challenge. Here’s my lineup for MLR Week 2:
Why the MLR Supporters Challenge Cup?
Read more about the Old Mate here - this post itself is about the why.
As MLR grew, several rivalry trophies quickly established themselves. Wikipedia lists: Texas Cup, Lone Star Champs, Cali Cup (original), Champagne Cup, Cuisine Solutions Cup, Gillys Cup, Fire and Ice Cup, Chowdah Cup, I-45 Feud, Dog Bowl, Hargest Bowl, Cali Cup, Coffee Cup, and Freedom Cup. Of these, only the Coffee and Freedom cups remain contestable due to the departure of so many teams. At the same time, Alex Magleby has consistently spoken about the importance of storytelling as part of the way to draw in new audiences to MLR and keep them. A rivalry cup isn’t the only story worth telling, but it is a natural one.
With a new Sunday Night Rugby show uniquely positioned to recap the weekend, the thought occurred that a rivalry (or challenge) cup that could be contested almost every single week could be a compelling story, especially if it could be traced back to the original MLR match.
The obvious inspirations behind the MLR Supporters Challenge Cup are the existing lineal trophies - Ranfurly, Raeburn and Utrecht shields. These are inspirations but different - Ranfurly is only required to be contested at home, where as our cup is contested at every match - regular and post season. Raeburn and Utrecht are contested home and away, but World Rugby has yet to recognize them - our cup is officially recognized, and Mags not only named the cup but purchased it as well, making sure that it is a cup that is large enough to have a handover ceremony but small enough to travel with the teams to away matches. The reveal of the cup happened in Ep 3 of Inside MLR. Make sure you watch the full episode, not just the clip I shared.
Credit to the TJRS Discord crew (especially Chris Lind, Phil Harris, Dave McVey, Chris Cotter, and James Horkan) where we hashed out some of the details to overcome one skeptic (and gain an unofficial nickname). TK for validating the idea and providing some potential names, James Deeley for verifying the statistics, Mags for recognizing the concept and immediate action, and the MLR socials crew for the announcement series!
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After a couple of teaser videos, Mags mentions a little more about the MLR Supporters Challenge Cup in this episode of Inside MLR.
🏉 4 days until Major League Rugby returns! Calendar links at rangerpicks.rugby/calendars #mlr2026 #mlr
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Why I'm looking forward to MLR 2026
It’s no secret that we’ve had a turbulent off season with the MLR - no need to rehash the reduction in teams once more, nor the changes in international player rules.
I thought it’d be healthy to look at the upcoming #MLR2026 season and identify things that I am grateful for. This is not to say that there aren’t things to complain about (kit reveals for most of the teams are still missing less than 3 weeks before the season starts) but there are many positive things that the offseason didn’t really prepare us to expect!
Leadership Shakeup
This is not to throw the blame at the feet of any one person, especially from the outside looking in. However, with such a dramatic offseason, it would have been difficult to take the league seriously with no changes. Taking a new approach with the co-presidents and splitting up the roles and responsibilities seems to already be having a positive effect, and I can only hope this is a long term trajectory.
Social Media Presence
There’s a noticeable shift in tone for the league’s social media output and I’m here for it. Nigel Owens in a bubble bath just hit the perfect notes for me.
Schedule
First, kudos to the league in getting the schedule published and sticking to it. Second, starting the building blocks to a consistent schedule - Saturday night; Sunday afternoon; Sunday night is awesome progress. It’s not perfect this season but we will really see the cadence after the first couple of weeks.
Sunday Night Rugby
A consistent schedule opens the door to a special Sunday Night Rugby ESPN show. As the last match of the week, being able to tell the stories of all 3 matches and more… catch those channel surfers or provide more in depth content for the existing fan.
Championship Venue
The venue for the championship was announced A MONTH BEFORE competition starts! That’s a massive improvement over years past when traveling fans were stuck buying last minute flights and scrambling for hotel rooms. Is there a pattern in this era of neutral venues of Central->West->East or is it too soon to call?
Referee Review System
Rugby matches should be refereed from the pitch. TMOs have been too chirpy and dictating outcomes of late. While they also have multiple angles, they do not have the angles from the refs in stadium. Of course mistakes can be made, and quick reviews may be necessary so the In Stadium Review Operator can provide that when the ref asks to see something again. More details from NARugbyDB, Rugby Rant, and the league.
Ref Mic
Ref mics have been juiced up! Broadcast watchers will now be able to hear interactions between ref and players and ref and ARs. Not only that, but in stadium fans will be able to tap into this with an app on their phones if they want. Awesome for those that want this without affecting those who don’t.
CBA
A collective bargaining agreement between MLR and USRPA was signed! More professional protection for our players lets them focus on game time performance.
MLR Supporters Challenge Cup
From an idle idea to eye opening research to a cheeky email and voicemail to reality. Find out more soon!
Ranger Picks 2026
I love this prediction game. I think I’ve made some improvements in the off season - play along to find out!
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