Super Rugby Americas opportunity to put MLR in its shadow?

Another MLR club has called it time due to a number of factors and the statement released was pretty damning on the way the league is run and the picture of the league in the future!

Houston SaberCats outlined that losing $50 million was not ideal but also not the overiding decision to call it time. Their statements were obviously better received than the NOLA Gold approach to the end of their MLR existence. But it has to be a further nail in the coffin for the MLR?

With only 7 teams remaining with a 3 team in the West and 4 teams in the East divide. How is the new format going to be made, or is the financial burden of excess travel going to be plugged by the $250 million sticky plaster that World Rugby have committed to save face over their selection of America for the next World Cup cycles!

Or can Super Rugby Americas prove the shining light for a terrible state of the domestic game over the pond?

Super Rugby Americas has been proven as a breeding ground for fan engagement, international players and new franchises. With a 4th Argentinian Franchise being formed for the 2026 season, this will take it up to 8 teams, and with World Rugby wanting a USA based team in there to add to the brand. Would that team be the Miami Sharks that recently dropped out of the MLR too? Being a predominately Hispanic club, and a franchise ready to go, they would be the perfect fit?!

There obviously can’t be a full merger of the 2 leagues because World Rugby cannot afford for the MLR to collapse with the World Cups coming up but surely they must be in panic mode and need a back up plan to host the biggest tournaments in the sport?

It has to be time for Argentina to host the tournament with a passionate fan base that is a hot bed for rugby, consistently improving on the World stage and a extremely successful domestic franchise system that is creating players fit for the International team. When will World Rugby look to South America as potentially the future of the sport, rather than chasing the Unicorn that is America to save the sport we love?