Major League Rugby returns for season six – with US game at a crossroads

In January, the Utah Warriors of Major League Rugby announced an alliance with Stade Toulousain of France.

Toulouse play at Stade Ernest Wallon, a temple of the world game which holds around 20,000 fans. Champions of Europe five times and France 21 times, they field stars – including Antoine Dupont and Romaine Ntamack – who are set to shine at a home World Cup this year.

The Warriors play at the Zions Bank Stadium, capacity 5,000, in Herriman near Salt Lake City. In four completed MLR seasons they have made the playoffs twice. They employ internationals including the ex-Harlequins centre Paul Lasike but he and the men’s US Eagles will not be at France 2023, having failed to qualify.

Glaring contrasts apart, as MLR kicks off year six this weekend Utah are not alone in thinking big. With US World Cups in 2031 and 2033, World Rugby has skin in the game. Around the oval world, kick-off in San Diego – where the Warriors play the Legion on Saturday – Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, DC and Seattle will be closely watched.

Utah’s chief executive is Kimball Kjar, once an Eagles scrum-half. Asked about the Toulouse alliance, he pointed to the pressing need to sell rugby in America.

“We’re trying to get outside what I call the rugby echo chamber. And I know that’s kind of weird to say when you’re talking about rugby partnerships with another rugby team, but there’s something to what we’re building that is much more than rugby.

“The idea we’ve presented to Toulouse … is the concept of being able to generate new fans and people that can come to know who Antoine Dupont is, who Romain Ntamack is, and all the other stars they have as well as within French rugby, within top-tier professional rugby.

“So it’s not just a partnership where