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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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 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.
A collective bargaining agreement between MLR and USRPA was signed! More professional protection for our players lets them focus on game time performance.
From an idle idea to eye opening research to a cheeky email and voicemail to reality. Find out more soon!
I love this prediction game. I think I’ve made some improvements in the off season - play along to find out!