Rugby is a team game played with an oval ball on a pitch with goalposts at each end. There are two teams of 15 players, each with seven backs and eight forwards. The 2024 Major League Rugby Season in the U.S. began in March and will continue until the end of June. There will be 12 teams competing in the season. Both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference will have six teams. The season lasts for 18 weeks, and each team will play 16 matches, so there are plenty of games to watch.
Major League Rugby
Rugby doesn’t have the same popularity in the U.S. as football or basketball. It is regarded as a relatively niche sport, but has some dedicated players and fans and its popularity is starting to grow. State-regulated sportsbooks in the US offer wagering on rugby and provide several lines with excellent odds. New Jersey is one of the states where betting is legal, and players can place their bets at a New Jersey sportsbook.
International Rugby
Americans also enjoy betting on other international rugby competitions, such as the World Cup Rugby. It takes place every four years, and at the recent Rugby World Cup held in 2023, South Africa beat New Zealand in a nail-biting final. Four penalties gave the Springboks a 12-6 lead after the first half. If a rugby player breaks the law, the referee can award a penalty kick. If a team player can kick the ball between the goalposts from where the penalty kick was awarded, this is worth three points.
Watching the games and seeing how the opposition tries to tackle the player with the ball is very exciting. Rugby teams can move the ball towards the opposition tri-line in different ways. They can run with the ball, kick, or pass it. They can only pass it sideways or backward, not forwards.
Point scoring in rugby
In rugby, points are scored in different ways. A team can score a try worth five points by grounding the ball behind the goal line of the opposing team. After a try, the scoring team tries to kick the ball between the goalposts for a conversion worth an extra two points. The game takes 80 minutes with two 40-minute halves. At the end of the game, the team with the most points wins. If the points are equal, it’s a draw.
How to watch MLR games
The New England Free Jacks defeated the San Diego Legion in the 2023 championship match. Both teams were top seeds in their respective conferences last year. The Miami Sharks and Anthem RC are new teams that will fill in the gaps left by Rugby New York and the Toronto Arrows.
Rugby may not have the popularity of the NBA, but there are plenty of ways to watch games in 2024. A total of 18 regular season matches will air on Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2. All matches that are not televised nationally on FS1 and FS2 are available to stream live and for free in North America on The Rugby Network (TRN). Cord cutters can also stream matches on Fubo, which offers a free trial. Hulu doesn’t offer a free trial but its live package includes FS1 and FS2.
