Share

Bad news for Beast and other SA players in Major League Rugby

Major League Rugby, the 12-team North American circuit that had started its third season, announced on Thursday that it will cancel the remainder of the 2020 campaign due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Register your interest for the British & Irish Lions tickets in South Africa 2021

Health and safety guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have banned large gatherings to combat the Covid-19 crisis.

A week after issuing a 30-day pause to the regular season, the rugby union league decided to shut down any attempt to restart the season and begin preparing for 2021.

"I am saddened to announce that the remainder of the 2020 season is cancelled," MLR commissioner George Killebrew said.

"We believe it is ultimately the correct decision as we factored in health and safety risks for all parties."

Killebrew vowed the league would return next year.

"I want to ensure our fans that there is no doubt MLR will be back in 2021 and will emerge bigger and better than ever before," he said.

"We will be using this time as an opportunity to grow all aspects of MLR and we're excited to continue this journey into 2021 and for many years to come."

The league grew from seven to nine teams from its 2018 debut to 2019 and added three more clubs in 2020 with Atlanta, Washington and New England joining.

When the season was halted, the San Diego Legion - which includes South Africans Dean Muir, Joe Pietersen and JP du Plessis - topped the table at 5-0 on 23 points followed by Toronto at 4-1 on 19 points and Old Glory DC at 4-1 with 17 points.

MLR also began adding more top names from overseas, notably prop Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira, who sparked South Africa to the 2019 Rugby World Cup title before joining Old Glory.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE