Professional club rugby union is set to begin in the U.S. in April, with a "competition sanctioned by USA Rugby and World Rugby," according to Martin Pengelly of the London GUARDIAN. The league, announced in N.Y. on Monday, "will be contested by six city based men’s teams," employing mostly U.S.-qualified players. "Rugby is a natural fit for our country," said Douglas Schoninger, a N.Y.-based businessman with a background in stadium financing and CEO of the Professional Rugby Organization (Pro Rugby). "Participation and interest in the sport is at an all-time high and the demand for a professional competition is clear."
In Pro Rugby’s first iteration, to be played between April and July and accommodating the USA’s June Tests, "teams will play 10 regular-season games each."
A Pro Rugby statement released on Monday said the six teams would be drawn from “major metropolitan areas in the north-east, the Rocky Mountains and California."
USA Rugby Chair Bob Latham said, "As the fastest growing team sport in the USA, it is the time to have a sanctioned professional competition" (GUARDIAN, 11/9).
