NOLA Gold folds, two California teams join forces in Major League Rugby shuffle

Major League Rugby, which operated with 11 teams this season, is down to nine.

NOLA Gold, based in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie, said Wednesday it will not be part of the pro rugby league in 2026. Earlier Wednesday, the San Diego Legion and Rugby Football Club Los Angeles (RFC LA) announced they will join forces and compete in the league next season as the California Legion.

The new franchise will host matches across San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange County, “solidifying the new club’s vision of becoming a representative of professional rugby in California.”

NOLA Gold and San Diego have been part of the league since its inaugural season in 2018. RFC LA started life as Atlanta’s Rugby ATL, relocating to California for the 2024 season.

Other teams that took part in the league this season were the champion New England Free Jacks, Chicago Hounds, Old Glory DC (Washington, D.C.), Miami Sharks, Anthem RC (Charlotte, N.C.), Utah Warriors, Houston SaberCats and Seattle Seawolves.

The league started with seven franchises (including Houston, Seattle and Utah) with original teams in Austin and Glendale, Colo., subsequently folding. The Toronto Arrows, Rugby United New York, L.A. Giltinis and Dallas Jackals also came and went.

Toronto joined the league in 2019 but folded in November 2023 after the death of president and general partner Bill Webb.

The NOLA Gold roster this season included Canadians Cooper Coats, Tyler Matchem and Callum Botchar while Andrew Coe, Matt Heaton and Conor Young were with RFC LA.

NOLA Gold, which finished fifth in the six-team Eastern Conference at 4-12-0, announced its withdrawal from the league in a pithy statement on its website.

“NOLA Gold has informed the league that we do not intend to participate in the 2026 season. Discussions are ongoing with the League regarding future opportunities and potential pathways forward.”

MLR CEO Nic Benson, meanwhile, said the new California team “will build and connect rugby communities to elevate the game in Southern California.”

“We look forward to working with new ownership groups to align, grow rugby statewide,” he added in a statement.

Canadian players have found a home in the MLR, with 16 Canadians in New England’s squad alone this season.

Canadians Andrew Quattrin, Piers von Dadelszen, Cam Nordli-Kelemeti, Ben LeSage and Brock Webster started for the Free Jacks in their 28-22 win over the Houston SaberCats on June 28 to claim their third straight MLR championship.

Webster, who played a key role in two of the New England tries, was named player of the match.

Canada captain Lucas Rumball and fellow Canadians Matt Owuru, Jason Higgins and brothers Mason and Noah Flesch play for the Chicago Hounds.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press