The United States has a complicated relationship with rugby. The country won Olympic gold in rugby in 1920 and 1924 (when the sport was last in the Games before 2016) then essentially dropped it for decades in favour of American football. A century later, rugby is coming back, and faster than most expected.
USA Rugby claims over 1.6 million registered players as of recent counts. Major League Rugby (MLR), the professional competition, launched in 2018 with seven teams and has grown to over a dozen clubs. The national team, the USA Eagles, have appeared at every Rugby World Cup since 1987. None of this makes the USA a dominant rugby nation yet. But the direction is clear.
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Is rugby growing in the US?
Yes, by most measurable indicators. College rugby is one of the fastest-growing sports at American universities. The sport does not yet have full NCAA Division I status, but multiple universities have pushed for formal NCAA recognition in recent years.
USA Sevens in Las Vegas is now one of the largest events on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series calendar. It regularly sells out Allegiant Stadium, a 65,000-seat NFL venue, and attracts spectators who come as much for the event atmosphere as for the rugby itself. For many Americans, it is their first live rugby exposure.
Is rugby popular in America overall? Not yet in the way football, basketball, or baseball are. But the question “is there professional rugby in the USA” can now be answered with a clear yes.
Major League Rugby: what it is and where it stands
MLR launched in 2018 with seven founding clubs: New England Free Jacks, Utah Warriors, Seattle Seawolves, Houston SaberCats, San Diego Legion, Rugby Atlanta, and Rugby New Orleans. Teams have been added since. By 2024, the league had 14 clubs across the country.
The model is familiar from MLS soccer: privately owned clubs, salary caps, a mix of domestic players and imported overseas talent. MLR clubs have signed former All Blacks, Springboks, and players from France’s Top 14 and England’s Premiership. Average attendance runs from 3,000 to 8,000 per game, but streaming viewership has grown each year.
The Seattle Seawolves won the first two MLR titles in 2018 and 2019. Different champions have since followed, which is a good sign for league health.
The USA Eagles and World Cup history
The United States qualified for and appeared at the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987. They have not missed a tournament since. Results have been mixed: the Eagles have beaten Russia, Romania, and Tonga at World Cups but have rarely troubled Tier 1 nations. They typically exit in the pool stage.
The Olympic record is more interesting. At Antwerp in 1920, the USA beat France 8-0 to win gold. In Paris in 1924, they won again, beating Romania and France to defend the title. Those are the last two Olympic rugby union gold medals in 15-man format before the sport changed to sevens in 2016. Technically, the USA are the defending 15-man Olympic champions, a quirk of history that very few Americans know about.
Rugby teams in the USA
Beyond MLR, hundreds of club teams operate across the country. The sport has deep roots in specific regions: the Pacific Northwest, California, the Northeast, and the Mid-Atlantic all have well-established club competitions. Cities like Chicago, Boston, New York, and San Francisco each have multiple clubs at different levels.
Women’s rugby is also growing. The USA Women’s Eagles have been consistently competitive in sevens, finishing in the top eight at multiple World Cup Sevens tournaments. The women’s 15s side has reached World Cup quarterfinals.
Notable American rugby players
Carlin Isles is the most recognisable name in American rugby globally. A former Olympic sprinter who switched to sevens, Isles has been clocked as the fastest rugby player in the world. His speed on the wing for the USA Sevens team has made him a highlight reel fixture for a decade.
Blaine Scully is one of the most-capped American 15s players and a former Eagles captain. AJ MacGinty, born in Ireland and now eligible for the USA, has been a key playmaker in the current squad. Nate Augspurger has emerged as one of the stronger domestic-bred players in recent years.
How to watch international rugby in the USA
Coverage has improved significantly. Peacock (NBC’s streaming service) and Flo Rugby both carry international fixtures. The Six Nations is available on Peacock, and World Rugby has made more content available through its own streaming platform. For MLR, RugbyPass and FloSports carry most matches.
More in the rugby cluster: For comparison with other growing rugby markets, see Rugby in Japan. For the strongest rugby nation in the Americas, Rugby in Argentina sets the benchmark the US programme is chasing. For the full overview of which countries play and love rugby worldwide, see the full rugby countries guide.
FAQ: rugby in the USA
Is rugby growing in the US?
Yes. USA Rugby reports over 1.6 million registered players. MLR has expanded from 7 to 14 teams since 2018. College rugby participation has grown steadily, and USA Sevens in Las Vegas regularly sells out a 65,000-seat venue.
Is there professional rugby in the USA?
Yes. Major League Rugby launched in 2018 and now runs 14 teams with paid professionals and international talent from across the rugby world.
Is rugby popular in America?
Not yet at the mainstream level of football or basketball, but it is growing, particularly at college level, in sevens, and in cities with established club cultures. USA Sevens in Las Vegas is the clearest evidence of mainstream interest building.
What is rugby called in the USA?
Just “rugby.” The 15-man game is rugby union; the shorter format is sevens; the alternative league code is rugby league. Americans do not need to rename it to distinguish it from American football, the two sports already have different names.
Has the USA ever won a Rugby World Cup?
No. The USA has appeared at every Rugby World Cup since 1987 but has not advanced beyond the pool stage. They have, however, won Olympic 15-man rugby gold in 1920 and 1924, the last two times that format appeared at the Games.
What comes next for American rugby
The USA has been part of discussions around co-hosting the 2031 Rugby World Cup. If that bid succeeds, it could do for American rugby what 2019 did for Japan, accelerate everything at once. Whether that acceleration sticks depends on MLR surviving long enough to develop genuine domestic talent pipelines rather than relying on imported players indefinitely.
For the broader story of how rugby spread worldwide and which countries it caught on in most deeply, see the rugby countries overview. For how different sports became national identities around the world, the national sports article covers that territory.
