Houston SaberCats become the latest team to pull out of Major League Rugby | iNFOnews.ca
Seattle Seawolves, right, and San Diego Legion players square off in a scrum Sunday, April 22, 2018, in the first half of the first ever Major League Rugby (MLR) match in the Pacific Northwest in Tukwila, Wash. MLR, which began the inaugural season a day earlier, has seven teams across the United States and will run their regular season through June. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Houston SaberCats become the latest team to pull out of Major League Rugby

The Houston SaberCats, who took part in Major League Rugby’s championship game in June, are the latest team to pull out of the U.S. league.

“It is with much sadness that we announce that we will not be participating in MLR’s 2026 season,” the team said in a statement Thursday.

The SaberCats, who had been in the league since its inaugural 2018 season, thanked their fans and sponsors but did not provide further details of their departure.

Houston finished second in the Western Conference at 10-6-0 last season, defeating RFC Los Angeles 27-21 and the Utah Warriors 33-19 before losing 28-22 to the New England Free Jacks in the June 28 title match.

Major League Rugby featured 11 teams last season but was reduced to nine in July when NOLA Gold, based in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie, backed out and the San Diego Legion and Rugby Football Club Los Angeles (RFC L.A.) announced they would join forces and compete in the league next season as the California Legion.

Last month, the Miami Sharks announced they too would not take part in the league in 2026.

The remaining teams are New England, Utah, California, Old Glory DC, Seattle Seawolves, Chicago Hounds and Charlotte-based Anthem RC.

The Toronto Arrows, the lone Canadian entry in the league, folded in November 2023 after the death of principal owner Bill Webb.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2025

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