NEWS

Seattle Seawolves last minute try secures back-to-back Major League Rugby Championship titles
Capacity Torero Stadium crowd in San Diego witness rugby match for the ages
June 17, 2019 – San Diego, CA – The second-ever Major League Rugby (MLR) Championship Final was played in San Diego on Sunday, and in front of a packed Torero Stadium, the defending champion Seattle Seawolves beat the top-seeded San Diego Legion 26 to 23 with a last-minute try to become back-to-back champions and retain the 2019 MLR Championship Shield.
“It was crazy, man,” Seawolves wing Brock Staller said after the match. “That last 15-20 minutes for myself personally was kind of an emotional roller coaster. I had a bit of a slip-up and I just kept telling myself, ‘What’s important now? What can I do in this moment for us to be successful?’ Just tried to keep those demons out of my head.”
The Seawolves finished 11-4-1 this season and boasted the league’s top scorer in 27-year-old British Columbia native Brock Staller. After edging the Glendale Raptors in the 2018 championship to cap off MLR’s inaugural season, they are once again the top team in the league.
While the result was not what the home San Diego Legion-friendly crowd had hoped to see, the sold-out championship game capped off a successful second season for MLR that has seen spikes in viewership and attendance across the board.
“On behalf of the MLR I’d like to congratulate the Seattle Seawolves ownership group, management and of course their players on a fantastic season,” said MLR Commissioner Dean Howes. “The dramatic finish to the match was a truly exciting way to end our second season and we’re thrilled for the fans in Seattle to taste victory for the second straight year.”
As the MLR looks towards its upcoming third season, it will be welcoming teams from Washington, Atlanta, and Boston as the league continues to gain momentum.
About the Championship Series
Major League Rugby’s Championship series consists of two semi-final games and the MLR Championship game over the course of two weekends. Both semi-final matches were played on Sunday, June 9 with the San Diego Legion beating Rugby United New York at Torero Stadium, San Diego and the Seattle Seawolves beating the Toronto Arrows at Starfire Stadium, Seattle.
About MLR
MLR is a professional rugby league launched in April of 2018. It’s an initiative of the North American rugby community, in partnership with private investors, who believe that North American rugby can thrive at the highest levels: as a commercial enterprise; as an influential player on the international scene; and as a participation sport at the youth and senior level. MLR will be the pinnacle of North American rugby, and provide a rallying point for local communities, a focal point for North American rugby fans, and an aspirational destination for young athletes. There are already over 40 internationals and players from more than 15 countries playing in the MLR. Twenty-two MLR stars represented the USA Eagles and Canada national teams in the opening round of the 2019 Americas Rugby Championship, with more than 30 called up over the course of the tournament.
The teams that competed in MLR Season 2 are Austin Elite, Glendale Raptors, Houston SaberCats, New Orleans Gold, San Diego Legion, Seattle Seawolves, Utah Warriors plus new additions Rugby United New York and Toronto Arrows. In 2020, New England Free Jacks and Old Glory DC will bring the total to 11 teams for MLR Season 3.
Media Contacts
Major League Rugby: Press Office, info@usmlr.com
Edelman:
Matt Salvatore, 613-315-7362, matt.salvatore@edelman.com
Andrew Blanchette, 416-994-9373, andrew.blanchette@edelman.com
Recent Posts

Dallas Jackals Move Inaugural Season to 2022
Press Release Statement from the Dallas Jackals: MLR Expansion team positioning

The next generation of America’s rugby talent: The backs
Dallen Stanford returns to reveal more American rugby talent who could take

The next generation of America’s rugby talent: The forwards
We've seen it in sevens, but will the U.S. soon become a

Free Jacks Launch Academy Residential Program with IDA Boston and the Newman School
IN COORDINATION WITH INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY AND THE NEWMAN SCHOOL, THE PROGRAM

Utah Warriors Announce Resignation of Head Coach Chris Latham
Shawn Pittman is named interim head coach for the 2021 season
Categories
- LA Giltinis
- In the News
- MLR Collegiate Draft
- Expansion
- Utah Warriors
- Toronto Arrows
- Seattle Seawolves
- San Diego Legion
- Rugby United New York
- Rugby ATL
- Old Glory DC
- NOLA Gold
- New England Free Jacks
- Houston SaberCats
- Dallas Jackals
- Austin Gilgronis
- Press Releases
- League Announcements
- Headlines
- Team News
- Games
- Videos
- Highlights
- MLR News
Archives
- January 2021 (10)
- December 2020 (14)
- November 2020 (7)
- October 2020 (13)
- September 2020 (13)
- August 2020 (11)
- July 2020 (17)
- June 2020 (14)
- May 2020 (8)
- April 2020 (3)
- March 2020 (24)
- February 2020 (42)
- January 2020 (13)
- December 2019 (7)
- November 2019 (7)
- October 2019 (9)
- September 2019 (7)
- August 2019 (5)
- July 2019 (11)
- June 2019 (51)
- May 2019 (75)
- April 2019 (88)
- March 2019 (78)
- February 2019 (76)
- January 2019 (51)
- December 2018 (7)
- November 2018 (10)
- October 2018 (8)
- September 2018 (12)
- August 2018 (14)
- July 2018 (10)
- June 2018 (46)
- May 2018 (43)
- April 2018 (34)
- March 2018 (25)
- February 2018 (31)
- January 2018 (37)
- December 2017 (10)
- November 2017 (25)
- October 2017 (25)
- July 2017 (1)
- March 2017 (2)