Who's a Better Fan?

Cue the bias toward your favorite team. Maybe you’re part of a supporters group. Maybe you genuinely believe you shout the loudest and stick with your team through thick and thin. The truth? Even an independent jury would struggle to give a definitive answer. One thing is certain though, Major League Rugby fans are passionate, committed, and unapologetically themselves.

I say that from experience, having played in the league and traveled all over the U.S. I’ll never forget my first trip to Starfire Stadium, facing the Seattle Seawolves in the depths of a cold, wet March. Not a single kick at goal was met with silence. Every Seawolves line break was greeted with a roar. And every stoppage in play? That was Broccoli Guy’s cue to dance up and down the sideline. Unique. Brilliant. Slightly unhinged, in the best possible way.

The Seawolves faithful create a special atmosphere: hostile for 80 minutes, then the first to shake your hand and buy you a drink after the final whistle, win or lose. That’s rugby.

Maybe that’s the beauty of rugby in America. It’s different. It doesn’t need centuries of tradition to tell people how to behave. While respect and the game’s core values remain, fans can truly be themselves. Nowhere is that clearer than with the 1st Regiment of the New England Free Jacks.

I’ll never forget meeting them properly at the MLR Championship Rugby Rally the night before the final — pints flowing, songs belted out, and plenty of passionate opinions shared. Among their ranks is the infamous superfan Todd, better known as “Spider.” Dressed head-to-toe in revolutionary gear, never far from the sideline, Spider is extravagant, fantastic, and fiercely loyal. That said, I will never allow him near a microphone again after experiencing his ability to have zero filter when it comes to sharing details of his personal life. I’ll let you imagine the rest. One thing’s for sure though: he’d give up a limb for the Free Jacks!

Of course, this barely scratches the surface. The Dawgs in Chicago. The Anthem Reaper. The Old Glory Supporters Club. The Cohort, who will no doubt continue to bring the noise for the Legion in California next season. And then there are fans of teams not involved in MLR 2026; still passionate, still hurting, still unsure who to support next. A special shoutout to groups I have such fond memories with, like Utah’s Warrior Nation and the SaberBros in Houston.

Rugby relies on these people. No matter how they dress, what they chant, or how loudly they shout (or dance), the community is for everyone — and that’s what I love most about this game.

So, back to the original question. Who’s a better fan?

I’ll leave that up to you. As rugby grows and the fanbase grows with it, who knows, we might just see a whole lot more Broccoli Guys and Spiders along the way.