What To Know About the 2026 MLR College Draft

MLR Collegiate Draft

Every summer, the MLR College Draft turns college rugby standouts into professional players. Here's what you need to know about how it works, who's eligible, and where to see this year's prospects.

What Is the MLR College Draft?

The College Draft is MLR's official pathway from college rugby to the professional game. Since its inception, the draft has been built around four goals: supporting the college rugby landscape, giving collegiate players a clear route to MLR, providing transparency for teams and administrators, and helping maintain parity across the league.

The 2026 Draft will take place at the end of August; the exact date and time will be announced soon.

How the Draft Works

MLR uses a "Draft and Follow" model. Once a player is drafted, his rights belong to that team, but the team doesn't have to sign him right away. Teams can activate those rights any time up until the midpoint of the next MLR season after the player becomes eligible to play (typically once he graduates or his college eligibility expires). From there, teams can sign the player outright or trade his rights to another club.

The Draft runs three rounds, with the order of selection set by the inverse of the final 2026 standings, based on playoff results and regular-season record.

Registration Is Open , Here's Who's Eligible

Any college player hoping to go pro in the MLR needs to declare for the draft. Registration for the 2026 MLR College Draft closes Monday, August 24th.

To be eligible, a player must:

Be enrolled in a U.S. or Canadian university or college during the 2025–2026 academic year
Have competed in college or university rugby during the 2025–2026 season
Have completed three years of college or be at least 21 years old

Players who are eligible but don't declare won't be able to join MLR the following season without a case-by-case waiver. Full policy details and the registration form are available on the College Draft page.

Meet the Prospects

Curious who's in this year's class? Head over to the 2026 MLR Draft Prospects Hub, where you'll find every approved prospect broken out by position: Props, Locks, Hookers, Flankers, Scrum-Halves, Fly-Halves, Centers, Wings, and Fullbacks.

Each profile includes:

Height, weight, college, class year, and hometown
A snapshot of the player's rugby background and accolades
A quote from the player himself on what drives him and what he wants MLR teams to know

The list updates on a rolling basis as new registrations are approved, so if you don't see a name yet, check back. Absence from the list doesn't mean a player was turned down.

Whether you're scouting your favorite team's next signing, looking for a familiar face from your alma mater, or want to know who's next in line for the pros, the Prospect Hub is where to start.