With the first pick in the 2026 Major League Rugby College Draft, Old Glory DC have taken hard-working loose forward Logan Ballinger, who was surrounded by Life University teammates when the news was announced on Thursday.
Ballinger is the latest MLR draftee to have come out of the prestigious collegiate rugby program, following in the footsteps of others like Conner Mooneyham, who holds a unique place in history as the competition’s first-ever draft choice.
Old Glory qualified for the playoffs last season as the fourth-season but bowed out of the title race with a 59-22 defeat to eventual champions the Chicago Hounds on June 15. But the addition of Ballinger to the roster in DC is significant, with the flanker boasting an impressive reputation.