May 5, 2022 (DALLAS, TEXAS) – Major League Rugby (MLR) announced its third annual Collegiate Draft today where 39 of the best young rugby players in North America will be selected over 3 rounds. The MLR Draft Show will air on Thursday, August 18th at 7 PM ET on FS2, with the latter picks on The Rugby Network.
After the success of the inaugural edition of the Draft in 2020, 2021 didn’t disappoint either. Last year’s No. 1 pick Eric Naposki has established himself as an integral part of the Dallas Jackals while No. 3 pick Tavite Lopeti has represented the Seawolves and the USA Eagles since being drafted. A complete list of the 2021 MLR Draft picks can be found here.
“Draft Day is a big, big day,” said MLR Commissioner George Killebrew, “It’s the culmination of years and years of work for these athletes on the pathway to Major League Rugby and we are incredibly excited about the next set of stars.”
This year’s draft is open to US and Canadian collegiate athletes and will consist of three rounds, with the order of selection being determined by the inverse order of standings from the 2022 MLR season. Once selected, teams will use a draft-and-follow approach and will have until the mid-point of the MLR season after the player’s collegiate eligibility ends to reach an agreement with the player.
An exciting change from last year is that MLR has partnered with Playwize as this year’s draft registration platform. Playwize is a marketplace that allows athletes to connect with playing and commercial opportunities across the world. Athletes must download the Playwize app from the App Store or Play Store, create a profile, and fill in the MLR Draft eligibility questionnaire to be added to the prospect list.
All 2022 draft information can be found here and all related questions can be directed to draft@usmlr.com. Come watch Tavite Lopeti and the Seattle Seawolves at Starfire Stadium May 8 and May 27 in the final regular season matches of the 2022 season with tickets here.
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